


Red String

by AngelicSakuraBlossom



Category: Naruto, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: An old story idea, F/M, Psychic Abilities, Sakura has a deck but doesn't battle, this is the new version
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-04 18:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 35,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3081092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelicSakuraBlossom/pseuds/AngelicSakuraBlossom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sakura was young she ran away from home, taking refuge in the Satellite. There she meets and befriends Yusei Fudo. Years later she joins him in his journey to New Domino City and the plot of the Crimson Dragon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A helicopter flew over the destroyed Satellite. Inside the helicopter was a little 7 year old girl. Her soft pink hair reached her waist. She wore a dark pink dress with a black waist band. There was a white flower on the waistband. A small over the shoulder bag was resting in her lap, her gloved hands covering it.

"Sakura, you do remember the importance of this, right?" her father asked. The pink haired girl looked up at her dad before nodding and watching the helicopter land. "Good, I want you to stay by my side…don't wander off," he ordered. Sakura nodded quietly and took his hand. "I would prefer a verbal response every once in a while…" he sighed before going off the plane, and meeting with a man in a suit.

"Mr. Takeno Haruno! So glad you could make it," he greeted, shaking his hand.

"Same to you Mr. Fugaku Uchiha," Takeno nodded.

"I did not realize this was a family event," Fugaku muttered, staring down at Sakura.

"Her mother was busy, the nanny's baby is sick so she's at the hospital, and the staff is too busy getting ready for a party," Takeno chuckled. "But, she's a silent child, so she won't disrupt us much."

"I would hope she doesn't," Fugaku nodded. The trio walked through the streets, easily avoiding any trash.

* * *

The trio arrived at a warehouse that was being built.

"We expect the factory to be able to mass-produce the parts for the new duel disks," Fugaku told him.

"And with the amount of people in the Satellite, we have plenty of workers," Takeno nodded in agreement.

"Yes," Fugaku nodded. "If you follow me I can show you the blueprints for the design, and the expectations." Takeno nodded and followed him through the building. He didn't notice that Sakura stayed at the front, looking over the warehouse.

"Who the heck are you?" a boy asked, walking over to her. Sakura stared at him for a while before turning back to the warehouse and walking towards it. The boy grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Where do you think you're going? He asked you a question," one of his friends asked.

"Let me go," Sakura said, tugging on her arm. That only made the kid grip her arm tighter.

"Who are you? We haven't seen you around these parts, and you look way too rich to be a resident," his third friend sneered.

"What's going on here?" A new boy asked. He had black hair with yellow highlights. Sakura tilted her head, looking at his hair. No matter the angle, it looked like a crab.

"None of your business Yūsei Fudō," the first boy hissed.

"It  _is_  our business when you start picking on a defenseless girl," an orange haired boy huffed.

"Look, just get away from her okay?" a blonde boy demanded, shoving the first kid.

"Jack, we don't want a fight," Yūsei reminded him, holding his arm back.

"Fine," Jack huffed.

"Hey, you okay?" the orange haired boy asked Sakura. The pinkette looked at them warily before nodding. "That's a relief." He turned back to the first three boys and glared at them. "Leave her alone! Just let her be!"

"Fine," the boys huffed, walking away.

"You sure you're alright?" the blue haired boy asked.

"Kalin, give her some space," Yūsei sighed.

"Are you sure, they were gripping your arm pretty tightly." the orange haired boy asked.

"Crow," Jack sighed.

"What, I'm just curious," Crow shrugged.

"It's fine," Sakura sighed. "I'm not defenseless."

"Sorry, but it seemed like it to me," Crow apologized.

"Well I'm not," Sakura huffed.

"Crow," Yūsei said.

"I'm just trying to find out if she's okay," Crow said.

"Well she says she is," Yūsei said.

"Can you please not start a fight," Sakura asked.

"Sorry," Yūsei told her.

"You're not from around here, are you?" the blue haired boy asked. Sakura believes he was called 'Kalin'.

"Nice observation," Sakura said sarcastically, crossing her arms.

"I like this one," the blonde said. 'Jack', if Sakura remembered correctly. Also, he had a strange accent. But she just couldn't place it. She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, studying him. This made Jack a little nervous. Actually, he was more uncomfortable than anything. "Uh...can I help you?"

"Your accent," Sakura commented.

"I've always had it," Jack said.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "What kind of accent is it?" she demanded.

"Um, a vocal one?" Jack answered unsure of what she was looking for.

"Are all blondes idiots, or just the ones I know?" Sakura huffed. She leaned back, glaring at him.

Crow began laughing, gripping his stomach. "Man, I like this girl! What's your name?"

"My name is Sakura Haruno."

"I'm Crow Hogan," The orange haired boy introduced, holding his hand out. Sakura looked at it. She glanced up, watching his smiling face. She slowly shook his hand, and before she knew it, the other boys were introducing themselves.

"I'm Jack Atlas." That was the blondie.

"The name's Kalin Kessler." So she had gotten the blue haired one right as well.

"My name's Yūsei Fudō."

"You're a polite girl," Kalin said. Sakura glared at him.

"I think she knows that," Yūsei said.

"Hey, do you know how to duel?" Crow suddenly asked.

"You're referring to Duel Monsters, right?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, you know how to play?" Crow asked, taking out his deck.

"I am familiar with the game, but I don't know much about it," Sakura said. "My nanny helped me build a deck but I never learned how to properly play."

"Well then we can teach you!" Kalin said excitedly. Sakura fished out her deck and nodded.

"I don't have the whole thing, so I hope that will be okay," Sakura said.

"That should be fine," Crow said. "C'mon, let's go!"

* * *

"And if you use this card after Flower Maiden, you'll be able to double her attack," Crow said, placing a card next to Flower Maiden.

"Chose a card to attack," Jack told her. Sakura looked at the cards across from her and pointed at one. Kalin groaned and took it away.

"Why am I the test dummy?" He asked.

"Because you don't have a complete deck either," Yūsei said.

"Alright, what are you life points?" Jack asked.

Kalin sighed and crossed his arms "500."

The boys turned to Sakura, who moved her fingers and counted in her head. "1200, I think."

"You are so going to lose," Jack snickered at Kalin.

"Shut up, Atlas," Kalin huffed.

"You'll only need to hit him once to win," Yūsei said.

" **SAKURA HARUNO!"**  An irate voice screamed out. Sakura squeaked, the cards falling out of her hands. She turned around quickly and saw her father.

She had never seen her father so mad. His ears were bright red, and a blood vessel was popping out on his forehead. Fugaku was behind him, shaking his head and looking at her in disappointment. Sakura shrank back.

"Get over here, now!" Takeno demanded. Sakura gulped and slowly walked forward. "What the hell were you thinking?" Her father shouted.

"I'm sorry," Sakura muttered.

"I can't believe you would do this!" Takeno shouted. Sakura hung her head.

"Hey! Stop yelling at her!" Crow shouted.

"Crow!" Yūsei hissed, pulling him back.

"You, you filthy pathetic street brats, how dare you take my daughter from me!" Takeno growled.

"We didn't do crap, old man," Jack said fiercely.

"Jack," Yūsei growled. He grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him back, keeping both of them in a tight grip. Takeno glared at the kids before turning around and grabbing Sakura's arm.

"We're going now, young lady. When we get home you're going to be in so much trouble," Takeno threatened.

"Yes sir," Sakura answered.

"Hey wait!" Kalin shouted. "You forgot your cards!" He held up Sakura's deck. Sakura's eyes widened and she reached out a hand to take them back but her father spoke up.

"Keep them. She won't have time for such a childish game anyway," Takeno said, dragging her off. Sakura looked back at them, frowning.

The boys watched as Sakura was taken away from them.

"I guess we've got new cards," Kalin said sadly.

* * *

Time passed since the eventful trip to the Satellite. When Sakura had returned home her parents had been so angry that she had been grounded, not to leave her room for one month. She also had her toys taken away, forcing her to do nothing but study.

After one week, Sakura's performance in her lessons were slipping. In the middle of the second, she had destroyed her room. Her bed was shredded, her furniture knocked over, and her possessions destroyed. On the third week Sakura's parents were forced to lock the door to keep themselves and the rest of the household safe. By the fourth week, Sakura had calmed down, but she still felt angry. A little voice in her head was telling her to continue with her fit but she had tuned it out.

Coming into the extra fifth week, Sakura sat in a corner of her room, her eyes distant and her mind wandering. She looked up and surveyed her room. Something caught her eyes under a pile of clothes. She got up and walked over to it, picking up a card. It had a dragon with scales that shimmered in light and dark pinks.

Sakura looked up and stared out her window. The city lights illuminated the night sky. Across the bay she could see a dark outline of the destroyed ruins known as the Satellite. She looked down at the card in her hand. Sakura narrowed her eyes and rushed off to her closet.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura surveyed the boats currently docked. Dawn was approaching and there were several boats ready to dump trash to the Satellite. She crouched down as a few dock workers walked past the crate she had been hiding behind. She peeked above to make sure she was safe before running along the crates, making sure to try to stay out of sight.

She stopped behind one crate, which was in front of a trash boat ready to leave the dock. The were several dock workers surrounding it and for a moment Sakura was rethinking her plan. She sat down, her back against the crate. She took out her dragon card and looked at it. She nodded to herself and turned around, watching the workers. She glanced at the other boats and saw one ready to take off, but there were no workers around it.

Sakura crouched and ran for the boat. She climbed into the boat and curled under a tarp. Not long after she heard the motor and felt the boat move. She peeked out from under the tarp and watched the waves pass. She pulled back under the tarp and took out her card. She smiled and held the card to her chest.

* * *

Sakura waited a moment after the boat stopped. She crawled out from under the tarp and stood up, coming face-to-face with the garbage man. They stared at each other in shock before the man moved to grab her. Sakura back up and jumped off the boat, running into the Satellite.

"Get back here!" he shouted. Sakura ran into the wreckage, trying to get away from him as quickly as possible. She ran into a building. Not a moment later, the man ran buy. Sakura looked out the door and ran the opposite direction, smiling.

* * *

"What do you guys want to do?" Kalin sighed as Crow asked that question once more.

"There isn't anything to do," Jack said, tossing a pebble off the roof they were on.

"We could duel," Crow said.

"Yeah, like we haven't done that before," Kalin said with a huff.

"Maybe we could use Sakura's deck," Crow said.

"Good luck getting it away from him," Jack said. The three of them turned around and looked at Yūsei. He had Sakura's deck in front of him, looking through the cards carefully.

"He hasn't let those things go in a month," Kalin said.

"Think he's gonna use them?" Crow asked.

"I'll laugh if he does," Jack said bluntly.

"Yeah, Yūsei using a flower deck? That's hilarious," Kalin snickered.

"You know that I can hear you, right?" Yūsei asked, not looking up from the cards.

"Come on Yūsei, why don't we just split the cards and be done with it?" Kalin asked.

"As if, I'm not using a flower deck," Jack said.

"Then we'll give them to some of the other kids," Crow suggested.

"A near complete deck? No one will take it," Kalin said. "They'll think we stole it and they won't want anything to do with it because they don't want to get in trouble."

"Well we have to do something," Jack said. "We can't just hang onto it forever. It's not like she's coming back for it."

"Yeah, her dad seemed pretty pissed," Crow agreed.

"She's from the city, what do you expect?" Kalin said with a huff. "We'll never see her again and she'll probably never think of us again."

"What, did you get a crush on her?" Jack teased.

"No! It's just the truth!" Kalin said quickly. "I just think some of us need to realize that." He glanced over at Yūsei. Yūsei rolled his eyes and gathered the cards. He stood up and walked over to his friends.

"Fine, then what do you want to do with these?" Yūsei asked.

* * *

Sakura frowned as she looked around. "I have no idea where I'm going," she said with a sigh. She sat down and sighed, looking up at the sky. "How am I ever supposed to find these guys?" She blinked as she saw a card flutter down to the ground. She stood up and grabbed the card, looking at it.

"My Flower Maiden," Sakura muttered. She looked up as another card fell down. She turned around and back up, seeing the heads of four boys.

"HEY!" The boys jumped as a third card came down. They rushed to the edge of the roof and the five kids stared at each other in shock. There, above her, were the four boys Sakura had been searching for.

"You're back!" Crow said in shock.

"Yes, I am," Sakura nodded. She picked up the third card and looked back at them. "And what are you doing with my cards?"

"You're back," Kalin said in amazement.

"No, I'm just a figment of your imagination," Sakura said with a huff. "Yes I'm back, now answer the damn question!" Sakura jumped as a pile of rubble collapsed behind her. She ran forward to avoid the debris.

"Are you okay?" Yūsei asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sakura said.

"Stay there, we'll be down in a moment!" Yūsei shouted.

"That's not an answer!" Sakura yelled back as the four boys disappeared. Sakura huffed and looked around nervously, eying the rubble that had fallen. A rock fell from the top of the pile and she flinched. It rolled over to her feet and she glared at it.

"How dare you mock me," she said quietly. She heard the four boys come running up to her, surrounding her.

"What are you doing here?" Crow asked.

"I...I just came for my deck," Sakura said, holding the straps of her backpack.

"Then what's with the bag?" Jack asked.

"I didn't know how long I would be here," Sakura said, her cheeks turning pink. "I didn't know how long it would take to find you guys!"

"So you're leaving again?" Yūsei asked. He actually appeared to be quite sad at the thought.

"It depends," Sakura said, shifting nervously.

"Well if you're going to be here you've got to meet Martha!" Crow said.

"Martha?" Sakura asked.

"She's our foster mom," Yūsei told her.

"Well, it would only be polite," Sakura said.

* * *

"So how'd you do it?" Kalin asked.

"Do what?" Sakura asked.

"Get back to the Satellite. How'd you do it?" Kalin asked.

"Now, now Kalin, let her eat something first," Martha said. "Did you even have breakfast young lady?"

"No," Sakura said sadly. "I haven't eaten much the past few weeks."

"Well no wonder you look so skinny," Martha said, matting her head. "How about I make some lunch for everyone?"

"Yes please," Sakura said. Martha smiled and went into the kitchen. "You still haven't answered my question."

"What question?" Crow asked.

"Why were you throwing my cards off a roof?" Sakura asked.

"We thought you were never coming back," Kalin said.

"We weren't going to use the cards, so we were giving them away," Jack said.

"And you didn't just give them to someone?" Sakura said with a huff.

"They would have been suspicious," Jack told her. Sakura rolled her eyes and shook her head. They sat quietly for a few minutes. Sakura shuffled through her cards, looking them over.

"Do you have the rest of your deck?" Jack asked suddenly. Sakura looked up from her cards and nodded. "Well then let's duel."

Sakura's eyes widened and she looked around nervously. "I don't think so, I'm still not really good."

"Well that's okay, we're not expecting you to be the greatest duelist ever or anything," Yūsei told her.

"I'd really rather not," Sakura told them.

"Aw come on, it'll be fun!" Crow urged. "Plus we still have a lot more to teach you."

"Look I said I'm not gonna play and I mean it, so just drop it!" Sakura shouted.

"Are you boys harassing this poor girl?" Martha scolded. She set down a plate of sandwiches.

"We were just asking her to duel," Kalin said.

"And I said no!" Sakura said.

"Well why not?" Jack asked.

"Boys!" Martha called, grabbing their attention. "She said no and you have to respect that. No means no, no matter who it's coming from. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Yūsei answered.

"Good." Martha nodded at the boys and turned towards Sakura, who had taken a bit of her sandwich. "Now, how did you end up in the Satellite?"

"I went to the docks and stowed away on a garbage boat," Sakura answered. "I'll just take the next one when it comes and go back home."

"You're leaving again?" Crow asked, frowning.

"I'm afraid she can't leave," Martha said sadly.

"Why not?" Yūsei asked.

"Well, so many people have been using those boats to try and sneak off the Satellite. So, they've built a pipeline to handle the garbage drop off. I'm afraid that the boat you took was the last one," Martha told her. Sakura looked at her and absorbed the information. She looked down at the table, her grip on the sandwich tightening.

"What are we going to do?" Kalin asked.

"I don't know," Martha said sadly. "I can try to talk to sector security and explain the situation but I don't know if they'll believe me."

"I don't care," Sakura said suddenly. Everyone looked at her in shock. "I'm not going back! I don't wanna!"

"But dear, you have to," Martha said, kneeling so she could look Sakura in the eyes. "You belong in the city, not here in the Satellite."

"But this is where the garbage goes," Sakura said. They looked at her in confusion. "I'm garbage. I'm broken. My parents think I'm trash, I'm broken, and I'm garbage." Tears fell down her cheeks. Sakura set her sandwich down and wiped her eyes.

"Oh sweetie, you're not garbage," Martha said, holding her close.

"I don't wanna! I don't wanna go back!" Sakura cried, hugging Martha.

"Then you'll stay here!" Crow said suddenly. Sakura looked at him in shock.

"Huh?" The boys shared a smile.

"Yeah, you can stay here!" Kalin agreed.

"I guess it'll be a bit of a hassle, but we'll get used to you," Jack said, shrugging it off and trying to play it cool.

"Boys, I appreciate your effort but she can't-"

"No means no Martha," Crow said smugly. "No matter who it's coming from!"

"There's no talking you boys out of this, is there?" Martha said with a smile.

"Nope!" they chorused.

"Well, Sakura, what do you say?" Martha asked. Sakura sniffed and looked at the four boys that she barely knew. All she really knew was their names. They were practically strangers. But then again, so were her parents. These boys were more to her than her own mother and father.

What did she have, going back home? A mother and father who would be furious with her? Scared of her? Locked in a room with no way out? But here, here she was being offered so much more. A home, a safe place, and people who actually seemed to care about her.

Sakura smiled and wiped the tears off her face. "I'd love to stay here." It wasn't that hard of a decision to make.

"Now, about that duel," Crow said mischievously.

"My answer is still no!" Sakura said quickly.

"You bounce back fast," Jack muttered.

"You wanna go blondie?" Sakura hissed.

"Think she'll be fine here?" Yūsei asked Martha.

"She'll fit right in," Martha told the young boy, a smile on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

The years had past by rather quickly. Much to everyone's surprise Sakura had adapted to the Satellite rather quickly and easily. She lived and acted as if she truly belonged there, like she'd always been there. And no one questioned the sudden appearance of a new child in Martha's care. Though they did question her hair.

After 11 years, Sakura was no longer the naïve, broken 7 year old girl she had been when she first ran away. But she never picked up her deck. Not once did she duel.

* * *

Sakura looked over to the boys behind her. Blitz, Nervin, Tank, friends that she had made, along with Yūsei. They had hooked up a cable rig and was watching Jack Atlas duel on TV. Sakura narrowed her emerald green eyes and turned back to the tunnels when she heard his voice. She stood up and walked to the middle of the tunnel, watching it anxiously.

"Calm down, Sakura, he'll be here soon," Blitz told her. Sakura glared at him before sighing. She sat back down on the platform and sighed once more.

"He won!" Tank exclaimed.

Sakura looked over at them and glared. "Shut up."

"Sorry," Tank apologized. Sakura turned back to the tunnel. After a few moments she could hear a steady tapping rhythm. She jumped up when she saw Yūsei pushing a red duel runner towards the platform. Sakura ran over to him and grabbed the other side, helping him push it.

"We'll get it right," Sakura said determinedly.

"Of course we will," Yūsei agreed. His head lifted up as he heard Jack's voice.

"They've been watching his big duel," Sakura muttered angrily. They pushed the runner up the ramp and onto the platform. Sakura helped Yūsei as he messed with the runner. Yūsei stood up and looked at the men watching TV. He reached over and revved up his runner, catching their attention.

"Oh, hey Yuse," Blitz greeted.

"Sorry Yūsei," Tank said. "We would have watched the duel anywhere else, promise. But the cable rig didn't stretch that far."

"He was amazing as always," Nervin said.

"Nervin, zip it," Blitz hissed. "Do you really think they want to hear about it?"

"Oh, sorry," Nervin apologized.

Yūsei connected the runner to his laptop and looked at the stats. "Only one person should be sorry."

"Right, and Jack's gonna pay for what he did to you," Blitz said.

"He will Yūsei, I'll make sure of it," Sakura said.

"I know, and he will," Yūsei said. Sakura grabbed the laptop and sat down, typing away.

"So where have you been?" Tank asked.

"I was testing out a new acceleration chip down in the tunnels," Yūsei said. "Didn't Sakura tell you?"

"She didn't mention it," Blitz said. Yūsei rolled his eyes and looked at the pinkette. Sakura pointedly ignored him, focusing on the duel runner stats. He shook his head and smiled softly.

"So are you gonna tell us if it worked or not?" Tank asked.

"What do you think?" Blitz asked.

"Does it look like it worked?" Sakura asked harshly.

"Sakura," Yūsei warned, placing a hand on her head. Sakura sighed and looked at the laptop.

"Well, your other runner looked really good on TV," Tank said.

"TANK!" Blitz shouted, hitting his head.

"What? It's true! I just thought it would cheer him up!" Tank defended. "That  _is_  his runner, remember? If it weren't for Jack backstabbing him and getting famous like that, it would be Yūsei giving that interview."

"Well maybe we don't wanna hear that!" Sakura shouted. She set the laptop down and stalked over to them. "Did you ever think that we knew this! Because we do! How could we forget what Jack did! We don't need you constantly reminding us!"

"Sakura," Yūsei called. The pinkette turned to him, glaring.

"But it's true! How could we possibly forget how Jack betrayed us! He stole your runner, stole your card, and he's used them to become famous! Tank is right! That  _should_  be you out there dueling and giving interviews, not Jack! Because of him-" Sakura trailed off, shaking violently.

"I know, just calm down," Yūsei said gently. He placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her still. Sakura flinched as she heard rocks shift and move above them. A good sized rock came down from the hole in the ceiling. She took deep shaky breaths and calmed down. Yūsei knelt down, looking her in the eyes. "Now, why don't you continue running the diagnostic." Sakura nodded and silently walked over to the laptop.

Yūsei looked pointedly at his friends. "You know not to rile her up like that."

"Sorry," Tank said.

"Just be careful," Yūsei said. He walked back to the duel runner. He smirked when he saw that Sakura was pouting.

"Yūsei!" a scratchy voice rang out. A young boy ran down a flight of stone steps and over to the platform. "You down here?"

"In here Rally!" Blitz called.

"Rally!" Sakura cheered. She ran over to the young boy and hugged him.

"Hi Sakura!" Rally greeted back enthusiastically.

"So why do you need Yūsei?" Sakura asked.

"I have something for him!" Rally said, running over to him.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Nervin said anxiously.

"You've always got a bad feeling," Blitz muttered.

"Look!" Rally said, holding out a chip. "A Skylon 30 acceleration chip!"

"That's a Skylon?" Nervin asked. "Aren't those really expensive?" Blitz grabbed Rally's arm and looked at the chip.

"And it looks like it's never been used before," Blitz said, looking it over. "Did you steal this?"

"No!" Rally said, yanking his arm back. "I didn't steal it! It was just laying on the ground. Maybe someone just dropped it."

"Rally, you shouldn't have taken what don't belong to you," Blitz scolded harshly.

"You know how things are around here. Nobody just leaves something laying around. Especially not something expensive as that," Tank said.

"If  _they_  saw you, they'll track us down and mark us all," Nervin said, rubbing the yellow triangle under Rally's eye. The young boy became nervous, clutching the chip tightly.

"Calm down Nervin," Yūsei said. "Rally, can I see that chip?" Yūsei held out his hand. Rally placed the chip in his hand, looking up at him nervously. Yūsei handed it to Sakura. The pinkette held it up, looking it over. She turned it over, looking at the back.

"It's real," Sakura confirmed. "Or a really good fake."

"How can you tell?" Blitz asked.

"Each company has a special signature on the outside," Sakura said. She crouched down next to the laptop and hooked it up, running a diagnostic. "It's hard to copy, but doable. The real proof, however, will be on the inside. Let's see, Skylon, I believe their signature should be somewhere around, there! It's a real Skylon 30!" She gave the chip back to Yūsei.

"This is exactly what I need," Yūsei said.

"I knew you'd like it!" Rally said happily.

"Yūsei, you shouldn't use it, you should take it back," Blitz said.

"Will it make you faster?" Rally asked.

"Absolutely," Sakura confirmed. "As long as the duel runner doesn't burn out, that is."

"Well then maybe he should keep it," Tank said.

"Tank! He can't do that," Blitz said.

"Yes he can," Sakura said. Blitz looked at her in shock. "You know the rules. Finders keepers!"

"I know you guys hold a grudge, but it may be time to bury the past and move on," Nervin said. Sakura's head snapped up and she glared at him.

"But Jack stole Yūsei's best card too, remember! It's not just about the duel runner!" Rally shouted.

"I know, but I think that you're forgetting that Jack's in the city, and the people in the city don't like those of us from the Satellite. It's just how things are," Nervin said.

"Yeah, but sometimes you've gotta stick up for yourself!" Rally shouted.

"Yūsei, I think us Satellites should just stay put," Nervin said. "Those in the city should stay in the city and those in the Satellite should stay in the Satellite."

"Jack didn't stay put, so why should I?" Yūsei said.

"And I didn't stay either," Sakura muttered. The other boys looked at her in confusion.

"You were better off leaving," Yūsei said. "Nobody deserves to live like that."

"Just let it go," Blitz said. "A set of wheels and a card isn't worth risking your freedom over. I agree with Nervin on this one." Yūsei looked up as the laptop beeped. Sakura looked down and punched a few keys.

"Try it," she said. Yūsei reached over and revved the runner. The sound of the engine filled the tunnels, echoing around them. The others looked at the runner in shock. "Sklyon 30 acceleration chip fully integrated into the systems."

"Now that's what I call power!" Rally said. He picked up Yūsei's helmet and smiled. "Take it for a test run and let's see what it can do."

Lights flooded the tunnel from the crevice in the ceiling.

"What is that?" Tank shouted.

"It's Sector Security!" Nervin shouted.

"Identification number AWX86007, you are in possession of stolen property. You are surrounded, escape is not an option." Rally gripped Yūsei's helmet. He looked frightened.

"I didn't, I swear," he said desperately. "I told you, it was just lying there! I didn't see anybody!"

"Then it was a setup," Sakura said. "What's done is done."

"It's gonna be alright," Yūsei said.

"So what are we gonna do?" Blitz asked.

"We can't do anything," Tank said. "That mark is like a homing device, it sends a signal straight to sector security." Yūsei looked at Sakura and nodded.

"Signal jamming in three, two, one, now!" Sakura announced.

"There, you'll guys have a couple of minutes to escape. Take the east tunnels to get away," Yūsei ordered.

"And where are you going?" Blitz asked.

"I'm taking this chip for a test drive," Yūsei said, putting on his helmet.

"Duel runner signal locked on," Sakura said. "I'll watch it to make sure it stays stable."

"Thanks," Yūsei said. "Now get going." He revved the runner and drove off.

"You heard him, let's go!" The group ran down the east tunnels.

* * *

"So, how's he doing?" Tank asked.

"He's fine," Sakura said. "Duel's over, Yūsei won, and he's cooling down."

"There was a duel?" Blitz asked.

"Yeah," Sakura said with a nod. "If I had to guess I say he struck a deal with Trudge. And he won."

"Well, where is he now?" Rally asked.

"He's gone for a drive," Sakura said, closing the laptop. "I'm going home."

"But, you are home," Tank said.

"Not yet I'm not," Sakura said.


	4. Chapter 4

Sakura sat with her legs crossed and the laptop on her lap. Rally was standing at the edge of the platform, a stopwatch in his hand. They both looked up as they heard the engine. Yūsei drove by and Rally stopped the watch. The runner slid to a stop. Rally and Sakura ran over to Yūsei.

"That was your fastest time yet!" Rally said, showing him the stop watch. "Think it'll be fast enough to get you guys to New Domino?"

"It better be," Yūsei said.

"And the runner held up perfectly, not one little blip," Sakura said.

"I know this is gonna work!" Rally said.

"I hope you're right," Yūsei said.

"You should test it with both of you," Rally said. "We've only timed it with just you."

"Rally, a little extra weight isn't going to slow the runner down," Sakura said.

"You never know," Rally said. "What happens if something goes wrong because there are two of you?"

"Rally's right, we've gotta test everything," Yūsei said. Sakura sighed and walked over to her stuff. She set the laptop down and grabbed two small pieces of equipment.

"Where's your helmet?" Rally asked.

"I don't have one," Sakura said. She handed him a walkie talkie. "Watch the laptop as well, if anything happens, tell me. I've set it to record so I'll look it over after the test. But tell me if something goes wrong."

"Alright," Rally said. Sakura climbed onto the runner behind Yūsei. She wrapped her arms around Yūsei and sighed.

"Say nothing and drive," Sakura ordered. Yūsei smirked and revved the runner, driving off.

* * *

"Honestly," Sakura sighed, dabbing a cotton ball on Nervin's face. "Can't you boys stay out of trouble for one day?"

"There! All better," Rally said, placing a band-aid on Blitz's face.

"Then why does it still hurt?" Blitz muttered.

"Gee, let me wave my magic wand and make it all disappear," Sakura said sarcastically.

"Sorry, guess I'm still a little mad," Blitz said. "I thought I was doing the right thing when I stood up to that stupid bully."

"And you did," Sakura said.

"But they just mowed us over like we were nothing!" Blitz said.

"That doesn't mean you were wrong. Your opponent was just stronger," Sakura told him.

"I didn't even get a chance to curl up in the fetal position," Nervin said.

"And now I I have to buy a new pair of shoes," Tank said with a sigh.

"To hell you are!" Sakura said.

"Guys! Come on, lighten up!" Rally urged. "Yūsei maxed out his duel runner."

"Like how maxed out?" Blitz asked.

"Enough to get out of here," Yūsei said.

"You should have seen it speeding through the tunnels! It didn't even slow down when Sakura's was on it as well," Rally said excitedly. "So are you gonna do it tonight?"

"Yep," Yūsei confirmed.

"So that's it, we leave tonight?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah," Yūsei said.

"Well, good thing I packed everything I'll need last night," Sakura said.

"What do you need to pack?" Blitz asked.

"None of your business," Sakura said. "Believe it or not I have some things of my own to take care of in the city. I have some scores to settle as well."

"Does anyone else have a bad feelin about all of this?" Blitz asked.

"I do, but that's not saying much," Nervin said. "I've always got that feeling."

"Don't worry guys, we've got everything all planned out," Yūsei said. "I think," he added quietly.

"You think?" Sakura repeated. She looked at him in shock. "What do you mean by that?"

"Calm down," Yūsei told her.

"Yūsei, this is our future we're talking about here! We don't have room for 'mights'." Sakura said.

"Never thought I'd see you eager to get to the city," Yūsei said.

"I am a lot of things, but eager to go there I am not!" Sakura said.

"Then why are you going?" Blitz asked.

"Like I said, I have my own scores to settle," Sakura said.

"So what's this plan of yours that you think 'might' work?" Tank asked.

"It will work, Tank," Rally said.

"I hope you're right Rally," Yūsei said. "If everything works out like I've planned then I'll have Stardust Dragon back and we'll all be closer to leaving the Satellite."

"Yuse, do you really think that card is worth the risk?" Blitz asked. "Do you really think that card is going to make any difference?"

"Of course it is! Don't you remember the feeling when you first saw it in action?" Tank asked. "I'll never forget that moment. Seeing the duel runner Yūsei had built from spare parts. And then when he started it up and he showed us what it could do."

"And then when he summoned Stardust Dragon I couldn't believe my eyes, or ears. Blitz was screaming," Nervin said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I lost my voice for a week after that," Blitz said. "Too bad Jack took away all our dreams."

"Yūsei's about to get them back!" Rally said.

"So what are we waiting for?" Tank said.

"Midnight tonight," Yūsei said.

"What's at midnight," Nervin asked.

"The tiniest of opportunities," Yūsei said. "Look at this." He pulled a diagram. "See the only thing that connects New Domino to the Satellite is this sewer pipeline here. The only problem is that they flood it with garbage all day every day. But once a month at midnight they shut down the system to check the compression pumps. A small maintenance hatch will automatically open and that's when we'll escape."

"And the only thing that could stop us would be sector security," Sakura said with a sigh.

"The sewer pipe? That sounds unsanitary," Nervin said. "The fumes and odor alone would-"

"Remind us of you," A new voice.

"Yeah, you stink just like the garbage you recycle." A big guy said.

"How's the healing going?" One of the guys asked. A slouched little guy, laughed, his thumb and finger held out to form an 'L'. Yūsei and Sakura both glared at the three guys.

"Hey, you with the hair, you think you're a tough guy? I'll show you what tough is!" The big guy said.

"Oh, I'm quaking in my boots," Sakura said, crossing her arms.

"What was that girlie?" the big guy growled.

"That's a pretty sweet runner you've got there, how much do you want for it?" The leader asked.

"The runner's not for sale!" Blitz said, running in front of it.

"How about 50?" Sakura asked, stepping forward. The guys looked at her in shock but Yūsei merely smirked.

"Fifty cents?" The leader said smugly.

"No, 50 screams," Sakura said, cracking her knuckles. "Scream and beg for mercy 50 times and I might let you have it."

"What if I go topside and tell sector security that you're hiding an illegal duel runner down here," Leader said.

"Let's up it to 75," Sakura said with a growl.

"For someone that makes a point to stay calm you sure do get angry easily," Blitz said.

"How about a deal?" The leader said. "If you give me the duel runner then you won't have to buy me new shoes."

"How about we duel for it?" Yūsei said, standing up.

"Duel for it? You might just give it to me," Leader said. "Especially if you duel as well as your friends fight. How does this sound, I win and I get the runner, you win and we'll leave you alone."

"Yūsei, please, just give me three minutes with these guys," Sakura said angrily.

"Sakura, take a walk," Yūsei told her.

"I'm not leaving," Sakura said.

"Don't duel him Yūsei," Blitz said.

"He's just a bully," Nervin said.

"And bullies never learn, unless you stand up to them," Yūsei said.

"I'll stand up to them real good," Sakura said with a growl.

"Sakura, enough!" Yūsei said. "Go meditate."

"But-" Sakura protested. Yūsei turned her around and pushed her towards the others.

"Meditate, now," Yūsei ordered firmly. Sakura sighed, she knew that tone. No arguments allowed.

"Fine," Sakura said with a huff. She sat down, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. She took deep calm breaths and tried to tune everything out.

"Hm, I think I'll change it's color," Leader said.

"Don't do it Yuse, please! This runner is the key to-"

"Our future," Yūsei said, finishing Tank's sentence. "And that's why I have to do this."

"Well your future is coming with me," Leader said. "You'll have to make new plans for tomorrow."

* * *

The two looked at each other, raising their duel disks. "Let's duel!" they declared.

"Do you think it's fine for you to be here?" Blitz asked Sakura.

"As long as I keep calm, I'll be fine," Sakura said with a sigh.

"Your move," Yūsei said.

"I can't wait to get my hands on that runner," Leader said. "I summon chainsaw insect in attack mode!" The monster appeared close to Leader.

"That's a big bug," Sakura said.

"I've seen big bugs down here before, but nothing that big," Tank said.

"That is quiet the arthropod, isn't it?" Nervin said.

"It sure is, and next I'm gonna play the spell card retribution of the Ant lion!" Leader said, placing a card down. A sinkhole appeared on the field. "I always knew that there were bugs in these tunnels but trust me when I say that you guys haven't seen anything yet."

"Uh-oh, Yuse doesn't like bugs," Tank said.

"Yeah, ever since that roach nested in his ear he freezes just at the slightest mention of the word insect," Nervin said.

"Yeah, who do you think had to get the roach out of his ear?" Sakura said. "Go Yūsei, you can do it!"

"Scared of the little creepy crawlies, huh? Well then this duel will have you coming face to face with your worst fear," Leader said with a snicker.

"You got him shaking in his boots boss!" Big Guy said. The little guy laughed.

"Not for long," Yūsei said. "I summon Shield Warrior in defense mode! And then I'll place one card face down and end my turn."

"Ha, you really are afraid," Leader said with a smirk. "You don't even know how to attack."

"I bet he don't even finish the duel," Big Guy said. Sakura growled and lunged at him. Blitz and Nervin held her back to keep her from attacking him.

"What was all that stuff about 'staying calm'?" Blitz said sarcastically.

"I'm rile up, what do you want from me?" Sakura shouted at him.

"There's only one way to find out," Leader said. "I summon Pinch Hopper in attack mode! I can see the fear in your eyes, and it's just gonna get much worse. By sending a card to my graveyard I can summon Insect Costume and add a scarier insect to my hand!" Pinch Hopper split open and a large bug came out of it, taking it's place. "You may enjoy this next part though, because I'm destroying my Pinch Hopper."

"But if he destroys a monster his life points will get zapped," Tank said.

"Shush! Let the stupid be stupid," Sakura said. The Ant Lion spun to life and struck Leader.

"What? What just happened?" Leader said in shock. "Did I just attack myself?"

"I think he forgot about the spell card he placed," Blitz said in disbelief.

"Oh wait, yeah, that was all part of my plan," Leader said. "Because by sacrificing my Pinch Hopper I can use it's special ability and summon an even creepier insect. I summon my Metal Armor Bug." A large bug covered in armor appeared on the field. "When sector security dumped me here I thought I would spend the rest of my life rummaging through the garbage. But your runner is gonna get me outta her and put me back where I belong."

"You're not gonna take our runner!" Sakura shouted. "You're dreaming if you think you can just waltz in here and take our runner!"

"Well your friend is dreaming if he thinks he's gonna win," Leader said. "And after this move, he's gonna wish he never challenged me! I special summon Doom Dozer!" The giant red bug roared as it was summoned. "Now, Chainsaw Insect, attack him!"

"Not so fast!" Yūsei said. "I play my face down, Scrap Iron Scarecrow." The scarecrow came up, taking the attack. "Thankfully my trap card allows me to negate your attack. Unfortunately I can only use this card once per round."

"That's too bad," Leader hissed. "Metal Armor Bug, attack his Shield Warrior!" The giant bug rammed into Shield Warrior, destroying him.

"Are you done yet?" Yūsei asked passively.

"You think you're so tough, don't you? Well my Ant Lion is gonna knock you down a few pegs," Leader said. His points were knocked down to 3200. "And now, Doom Dozer, attack him directly!" A burst of purple energy shot out of Doom Dozer's mouth and hit Yūsei. Yūsei's points were knocked all the way down to 400.

"I think Yuse might be too scared to move," Blitz said.

"You take that back right now!" Sakura said, rounding on him. "If I hear one more person doubt Yūsei they'll find themselves in a body cast!"

"Come on, are you ever going to attack?" Leader shouted at him.

"How's this for an answer?" Yūsei said, drawing a card. "I summon out Speed Warrior. And I play the spell Double Summon, which allows me to summon another monster. But ganging up is something you bullies know all about." He showed his next card and summoned Junk Synchron."

"Alright!" Rally cheered.

"Go Yūsei!" Sakura cheered.

"And with these two on the scene I can finally summon Junk Warrior." The two monsters combined, turning into Junk Warrior. "Junk Warrior, let's rev it up!"

"Oh no, with that power, my bugs don't stand a chance," Leader said.

"Boss, it's okay, he's scared, just through more bugs his way!" Big Guy said.

"I've got nothing to be afraid of," Yūsei said. "Especially not when I've got my Fighting Spirit Equip spell card." Three rings of light appeared on Junk Warrior's arm. "And for every monster you have on your field Junk Warrior gains 300 attack points." Junk Warrior absorbed the light, raising his attack points to 3200.

"Oh no, he's gonna stomp my bugs," Leader said in worry.

"He can't knock them all out!" Big Guy said.

"I don't have to, not when I play Domino Effect," Yūsei said.

"Oh man! I was so far ahead!" Leader groaned.

"Junk Warrior, send that Chainsaw Insect straight to the scarp heap!" Yūsei ordered. Junk Warrior flew forward and punched Chainsaw Insect. Leader looked on in shock and disbelief as his points were knocked down to 2400. "And now when I send two of my cards to the graveyard, Domino Effect will activate. Your bugs are going down."

Chainsaw Insect stumbled back and fell down against Doom Dozer. The monster toppled over each other and were destroyed.

"You came down here looking to scare us, threaten us and push us around. Well next time you better think twice before attacking my friends. W stick together through thick and thin," Yūsei said.

"Yeah, you better think twice about messing with us," Sakura said.

"You tell that New Domino cast off!" Rally cheered.

"You fought a good fight, but my runner isn't going anywhere. And now, I'm using your spell against you! Your Retribution Ant Lion should finish this duel up nicely," Yūsei said. The spell activated and struck Leader. Leader's jaw dropped as his points were knocked down.

"Oh man, I was so close," he groaned.

"You did it!" Sakura said. She ran over to Yūsei and hugged him.

"I wasn't going to let him take our future from us," Yūsei told her. He turned towards Leader. "I will admit, you had me on the ropes for a while there. I almost wasn't sure how I was going to win."

"Don't joke about that," Sakura said seriously. Yūsei chuckled and turned back to Leader.

"But an old friend told me that when your back's against the wall and you feel like there's nothing you can do as long as you trust your deck, there's no situation you can't escape. That day I learned a very important lesson, one that I'll never forget. It's because I believed in my cards that I won this duel."

"Man, I thought I had that runner," Leader said with a sigh. "Yūsei, maybe we can be friends one day. And next time, we'll duel topside."

"Sure thing," Yūsei said. "But no bugs."

* * *

Sakura grabbed her black gloves and pulled them on. She took off her ratty old tennis shoes and pulled on a pair of knee high black boots. She picked up her small backpack and smiled, looking at it.

"I was so tiny," she muttered. A figment appeared behind her, taking her form. She looked like Sakura but her hair was red and her eyes were golden.

"But you've only grown since then. And in marvelous ways," The figment said.

"Shut up," Sakura muttered, putting on her backpack.

"Now why would I do that?" The figment asked.

"Because I hate you and need to keep you bottled up," Sakura said. "You're the reason why I lost everything!"

"I didn't do anything, I just unlocked your potential," she said.

"Shut up, shut up!" Sakura hissed, swinging her fist. Her fist just went right through the figment.

"Please, you can't hurt me, I exist in your inner mind," the figment said.

"No wonder I can't get away from you," Sakura muttered. "Can't you leave me alone for just one day?" She walked through the figment dispelling it. She took a deep breath and pushed back the curtain. She saw Yūsei in the center of the tunnel, looking up at the sky through the crevice. She walked over to him and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, you ready?" Sakura asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Yūsei replied.


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay, Yūsei, the hatch opens at midnight," Nervin said.

"He knows," Rally said.

"And it'll only be open for three minutes," Nervin added.

"He knows," Sakura said.

"And once you hop the fence, sector security will-"

"He knows!" Rally and Sakura shouted.

"Can't you at least be positive?" Rally asked.

"Yūsei, do you really think you can do this?" Blitz asked.

"A test run is on thing, but the real deal is something else," Nervin said. "If they catch you-"

"Don't listen to that guy Yūsei," Tank said. "Just hit the gas and don't look back."

"Wait Yūsei!" Rally said, jumping down into the tunnel. He handed a card out to him. "I want you to have this."

"What is it?" Yūsei asked.

"Turbo Booster," Rally said.

"But wasn't this your dad's card?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, I thought you could use it," Rally said. "Like my dad always said, you never know when you might need a boost."

"It's time," Yūsei said. Sakura nodded and climbed onto the runner. Yūsei put on his helmet. "You guys will be on the monitor, right?"

"Yeah! We're going to go topside and get a clear signal," Rally said. "Now rev it up!"

"And don't stop for nothing!" Blitz shouted. Yūsei sat down and Sakura wrapped her arms around him.

"Ready?" He asked.

"As I'll ever be," Sakura nodded. "Rev it." Yūsei did just that and they sped off.

* * *

"Warning! You are entering an unauthorized zone! Turn back immediately!"

"Yusei, we've got company!" Sakura shouted. Trudge drove up to them and knocked into him.

"Pull over Yūsei!" Trudge demanded. Yūsei pulled ahead.

"How'd he find us?" Yūsei asked.

"The chip!" Sakura gasped.

"What about it?" Yūsei asked.

"It must have a homing beacon in it!" Sakura said. Trudge pulled up and tried to grab the runner.

"Don't you two know it's two hours past curfew, or can you not tell time?" Trudge sneered.

"Back off!" Sakura shouted, kicking his leg. Trudge stalled and Yūsei took the moment to speed off.

"Nice kick," Yūsei said.

"Thanks," Sakura said.

"Hang on!" Yūsei said. Sakura tightened her grip and pulled herself closer to him. Yūsei broke through the gate. He pulled on the runner and jumped over the fence. The runner jumped and continued on. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sakura said.

"You sure?" Yūsei asked.

"It wouldn't matter if I was or not," Sakura said. "We have a goal here, just drive."

"Alright." Yūsei quickly turned, gaining a squeal from Sakura.

"You may have beaten me in our last duel, but this time I've got something special planned for you and I'm taking you down," Trudge said.

"What's he talking about?" Sakura asked nervously.

"See with that chip you installed, I can force you to turbo duel!" Trudge said.

"What did he just say?" Sakura asked quickly.

"Calm down," Yūsei said.

"Overriding suspect's duel runner. Duel mode engaged. Autopilot standby."

"Yūsei!" Sakura shouted, panicking.

"Don't panic," Yūsei told her.

"I can't be this close to a duel!" Sakura shouted. "You know what will happen!"

"Just meditate," Yūsei told her. Sakura took a shaky breath and held him tightly.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Yūsei said.

"I let you off the hook last time, but me and my special pursuit deck aren't gonna let you go this time," Trudge said. "And this time, I'll haul you off to the Facility. You and your girlfriend."

"Ew!" Sakura said. "He does know we're siblings, right?"

"Foster siblings," Yūsei said with a smirk.

"Don't even joke!" Sakura said, her cheeks turning pink.

"Thanks to that acceleration chip you installed I can hack into your mainframe and force you to duel. And the only way to get you out of it is to beat me," Trudge said. "Now, I'll show you what my special pursuit deck can do. I summon Gate Blocker in defense mode." A blue gate appeared in front of them.

"And with that I place one card face down and end my turn." Yūsei gasped as his speed counter didn't increase.

"What's going on?" Yūsei muttered.

"What happened?" Sakura asked.

"It's about what didn't happen," Yūsei said.

"What's wrong Yūsei? Did you just notice that your speed counter isn't increasing?" Trudge asked mockingly. "Well it isn't going to. See last time we dueled I underestimated your deck and that mistake nearly sent me back to traffic duty. But this time, I've learned from my mistakes. And you won't be surprising me anytime soon. But boy have I got some surprises for you. For instance, my Gate Blocker spell card. Your stuck in neutral, rather fitting."

"What are you talking about?" Yūsei asked.

"Because, in this duel and in life, you two aren't going anywhere. Unless you count going to the facility as 'going somewhere'. But this isn't going to be a short little vacation like when you went to the re-education center," Trudge said. "You see Yūsei, this time you and Sakura are going to be locked away for a very long time."

"Name the last time I broke a law," Sakura huffed under her breath.

"Assuming you can catch us," Yūsei said.

"Yūsei, time," Sakura hissed.

"It's midnight," Yūsei said. "We have to wrap this up fast."

"But how?" Sakura asked.

"If I get out dueled down here we'll never get to settle the score with Jack. We'll never get to make him pay for what he did. I can't let that happen," Yūsei said.

"Well neither can I," Sakura said.

"Don't even think about it, we have no clue what could happen," Yūsei said.

"But I can't just standby, not when I'm this close, something's gonna happen no matter what," Sakura said.

"Then we'll deal with it when it happens," Yūsei said. He pulled out a card and placed it down. "I summon Speed Warrior in attack mode."

"I remember that pathetic little toy from our last duel." Trudge said. "I also remember that it's attack points double on the turn that it's summoned, but that won't help you one bit. Do you still not know how to count?" Speed Warrior was just 200 points shy of matching Gate Blocker. Yūsei took out another card.

"How about adding a little luck to this card?" Yūsei asked.

"Now that I can do," Sakura said. She quickly kissed the card and Yūsei played it.

"I special summon Turbo Booster in attack mode!" The Rally's monster appeared on the field. "Power up!"

Speed Warrior jumped on Turbo Booster's arms. Turbo Booster shot his arms like rockets and Speed Warrior went after Gate Blocker.

"That doesn't scare me one bit," Trudge said.

"It should because now Speed Warrior can attack using Turbo Booster's special ability!" Yūsei said.

"That won't be enough. Even if you somehow destroy Gate Blocker his defense is much to strong," Trudge said. "And this time, you'll be the one getting hurt from the blast, not me."

Speed Warrior crashed through Gate Blocker, destroying it. Yūsei grunted as his life points were knocked down 200 points.

"Are you hurt?" Sakura asked.

"Not a lot," Yūsei told her.

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault," Sakura said.

"Don't worry, I can handle it," Yūsei said. "There's the pipeline, we might still have some time." Yūsei drove off the elevated platform and quickly swerved into the pipeline.

"Ugh, remind me never to go riding with you again," Sakura groaned. She rested her head against his back.

"Pathetic," Inner said, appearing beside her.

"Shut up," Sakura muttered.

"What?" Yūsei asked, not hearing her.

"Nothing, just keep going," Sakura said.

"I activate my Broken Blocker trap so I can play two gate blockers," Trudge said.

"Oh no not again," Sakura groaned as two more gates formed in front of them.

"What made you two break curfew tonight, Yūsei? You trying to escape the Satellite?" Trudge asked.

"And what if we are?" Yūsei replied.

"Don't you know that your kind don't fit in very well in New Domino city?" Trudge asked mockingly.

"Rude!" Inner said, taking offense to that. "Doesn't he know that we were born there? We fit in perfectly."

"Why are you even taking offense to that?" Sakura asked.

"Should I just ignore this again?" Yūsei asked.

"That may be for the best," Sakura said. "Someone's getting offended."

"We're not exactly going there to fit in," Yūsei said.

"So what's the deal? We both know that you two have got an awful lot of enemies, and they're in some pretty high places. You going to try and settle some score?" Trudge asked.

"Something like that," Yūsei said. "I place two cards face down and end my turn."

"Heh, there's no escape Yūsei," Trudge taunted.

"We've got to find a way around those blockers and fast, or else we won't make it," Yūsei told Sakura.

"You two will never escape, I'll make sure of it," Trudge said. "I'm radioing Ganogo for some back up." A giant cannon ball with a face appeared in the pipeline. "Ganogo, take out his Speed Warrior." Ganogo rolled forward, steamrolling over Speed Warrior. With that, Yūsei's points were knocked down to 3350. Yūsei growled as he waited for Trudge to end his turn.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said.

"Not your fault," Yūsei said.

"Your loss is my gain," Trudge said, and with that his turn ended.

"My move then," Yūsei said, drawing a card. "I summon Junk Synchron in attack mode. Next I'll activate my trap card, Graceful Revival."

"What are you planning?" Trudge asked.

"Lemme show you," Yūsei said. "Thanks to my Graceful Revival I can summon any level 2 or below monster from my graveyard. I'm bringing back Speed Warrior." Speed Warrior skated out of the card and flew next to it's companion. "And now I'll tune them together to summon Junk Warrior."

The two monsters combined in an impressive and blinding light show. "Let's rev it up!" Junk Warrior flipped behind Ganogo and pulled his fist back. He hit Ganogo and the monster disappeared. Trudge growled as he skid back a few feet. He grunted in pain as his life points were taken down to 3050.

"What did you do?" Trudge shouted. "Why did that hurt?" Sakura looked behind them at Trudge in shocked.

"That hurt him?" She asked in shock. "That hurt him!" She threw her hands up in celebration. "This is the first time I've hurt the opponent!"

"Well, at least it's not one sided anymore," Yūsei said with a chuckle.

"Well duh it hurt him, you have learned more control since the last duel you influenced," Inner said.

"You pulled the same move the last time we dueled. You're starting to get predictable using the same old tricks," Trudge said in disdain. He drew a card and smirked. "You're not the only one that can upgrade their monsters! I summon Jute Fighter!" Trudge declared. A small Japanese man appeared on the field.

"Oh no! A tuner!" Sakura gasped.

"It sure is, and the surprises just keep on coming," Trudge said with a growl. "Jute Fighter, tune with one of my Gate Blockers to summon Goyo Guardian!"

"Shit." Sakura growled as the stronger monster appeared.

"Looks like you're the one who underestimated my deck," Trudge laughed maliciously. "Now attack!" Goyo threw his sai at Junk Warrior. Junk Warrior cried out as he was wrapped in rope. "See, when Goyo attacks a monster, it doesn't destroy it. Oh no, it takes control of the monster. And how sweet it is to have Junk Warrior do my bidding." Yūsei grunted as his points shrank to 2850.

"Kinda like your relationship with Jack Atlas," Yūsei bit back.

"You Satellites never know when to sit back and shut up, do you?" Yūsei watched as Junk Warrior was switched to defense mode.

"Blue is not a good color," Inner said.

"Tell me about it," Sakura muttered. "Yūsei, speed counter up to 4."

"Finally, I can activate a speed spell from my hand," Trudge said. "Go, Sonic Buster." The card appeared and shot a light at Goyo.

"Well, you weren't joking when you said you had a few surprises up your sleeve," Yūsei said.

"Glad I didn't disappoint you," Trudge said with a smirk. "And guess what I won't be disappointing my superiors either. This time you won't be running away once the last card is played. And with this attack it won't be long until your life points hit zero."

"Yusei!" Sakura gasped as his life points were knocked down to 1450.

"Now, to make sure you don't pull some fancy trick I think I'll use a second Sonic Buster to slow you down," Trudge said. Yūsei grunted as the second attack hit him in the chest. The runner was pushed back, coming even with Trudge's.

"Yusei, are you alright?" Sakura asked.

"I'm fine," Yūsei panted.

"To hell you are! You've only got 50 life points!" Sakura shouted.

"And soon he won't even have that," Trudge taunted.

"Alright, that's it, intervention time," Inner said with a growl. "No way am I letting this asshole win." Sakura watched as Yūsei's deck glowed white for a second.

"What did you do?" Yūsei asked.

"It wasn't me, I swear. It was Inner," Sakura told him. "I think she rearranged it."

"You won't beat me Yūsei, and you'll never escape from the Satellite, and once I win, I'm taking the two of you in," Trudge said. "I can't wait to see you two get locked up."

"Keep waiting, cause I'm putting the pedal to the metal," Yūsei said.

"But I'm the one that's got all the power," Trudge said, watching his counter go up to 5. Yūsei glanced back at Sakura before drawing a card from his deck.

"I summon the tuner monster, Nitro Synchron," Yūsei said.

"Another tuner monster? You never were the type to give up, were you?"

"Nope, and I'm not about to start now," Yūsei said. "I activate the speed spell Dash Pilfer."

"Impossible!" Trudge shouted. "Thanks to my blockers you don't have the power to use a speed spell."

"Double check the screen pal," Sakura said with a smirk. Trudge looked down at his screen and gasped.

"But how? When? This shouldn't be possible," Trudge said. "How do you have speed counters? Wait a minute."

"I see you're finally solving the puzzle," Yūsei said.

"Strange to see the cogs in that head of his working," Sakura said with a snicker. "I bet they haven't had a good workout in years."

"If you think you're the only one that's full of surprises then you better guess again," Yūsei told him. "This little oversight is gonna cost you big time. While you were busy trying to keep down and hold me back I played slipstream. It gave me the exact number of counters you had when you played your second sonic buster. By trying to hold me back, you've only made me faster!" Yūsei revved his runner and pulled ahead.

"That's just like you!" Trudge growled. "Taking handouts and riding on the coattails of someone else's success."

"Hey, it's what we Satellites do best," Sakura said.

"Dash Pilfer, get in there and save Junk Warrior!" The card hit Junk Warrior, setting him free. Junk Warrior switched back to attack mode and jumped next to Yūsei.

"Even after all these years, you still don't know a thing about me," Yūsei said. "All you see are rules being broken but you never once stopped to ask why. I guess being ignorant pays well."

"Yūsei, now's not the time for a lecture, we don't have much time left!" Sakura said.

"What are you talking about?" Trudge asked.

"We're almost there," Yūsei said. Trudge looked ahead of them and gasped.

"That hatch! You're gonna use it to get out of the Satellite!" Trudge shouted in realization.

"Wow, nothing gets past him does it?" Inner asked.

"Took you long enough to figure it out," Yūsei said with a laugh. "Nothing gets past you now does it? That is, nothing but me, Sakura, and my runner."

"No way. I'm just one move away from locking you two up for good," Trudge said.

"Not gonna happen, cause I'm about to rev it up one last time," Yūsei said.

"Another synchro summon?" Trudge asked in disbelief.

"That's right. Nitro Synchron, give Junk Warrior a little tune up," Yūsei ordered. "I synchro summon Nitro Warrior." Nitro Warrior took the field letting out a battle cry. "And I've got one last surprise for you, if Nitro Warrior attacks on the same round a speed spell was used it gains 1000 attack points."

"It does what?!" Trudge shouted.

"And with that it means that your precious Goyo Gaurdian is gone! Nitro Warrior attack!" Yuse ordered. Nitro Warrior flew at Goyo, punching it until the monster shattered.

"This is far from over Yūsei," Trudge growled as his points were knocked down to 2050.

"Oh yes it is," Yūsei said. "See, when Nitro Warrior destroys one of your monsters  _and_  you've got a monster in defense mode, it switches to attack. And guess what happens next." Gate Keeper's points were knocked down to 100 as it was forced into attack mode.

"But that means I don't have anything to protect myself," Trudge said.

"And even thought Nitro Warrior loses 1000 attack points, it's more than enough to win the duel," Yūsei said. "Nitro Warrior, have at it." Nitro Warrior flew forward, destroying Gate Blocker. Trudge screamed as his points disappeared. His runner stopped and steam poured out of it.

"And with 50 points to spare, not bad," Inner said.

"Yūsei, the clock!" Sakura said. They watched as the hatch slowly started to close and garbage began flooding the tunnels again.

"Not so fast!" Inner shouted. She disappeared and Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Yūsei, stay steady," Sakura ordered. Yūsei nodded, his grip on the handlebars tightening. Sakura breathed out one more time. Her body was outlined in red. She cleared her mind completely before opening her eyes. Her eyes were glowing red. The trash around them moved away, flying out of their path. A path opened up towards the hatch.

"The hatch is still closing," Yūsei told her.

"On it," Sakura said. Sparks started flying around the hatch as it stalled. Yūsei drove under the hatch and it slammed shut behind them. Sakura returned to normal and she breathed heavily, leaning back.

"Are you okay?" Yūsei asked, slowing down.

"I'm fine, that just took a lot out of me," Sakura said. "Just keep driving, don't stop until we're there."

"Alright," Yūsei said.

* * *

"Yusei!" A voice shouted out. Yūsei immediately came to a screeching halt. He looked around, searching for the owner of the voice.

"Jack!" Sakura shouted, seeing him on an elevated highway.

"And Sakura too, well isn't this a surprise," Jack said. "Long time no see, how have you two been?" When he didn't see smiles on their faces he laughed. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see you're old friend, Jack Atlas?"

 


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, it seems you two made good time," Jack said. "I hope Trudge didn't inconvenience you too much. Don't give him a hard time, he's only doing what I paid him to do. So, what brings you two to this neck of the woods?"

"I want my card back!" Yūsei told him.

"And I suppose you want your runner back as well?" Jack asked.

"You can keep it," Yūsei said.

"That's it? I thought you would have gotten over that by now. I see you've moved on to a new runner," Jack said. "Is it treating you well?"

"Better than the old one," Yūsei said. "How is the one you stole from me? Better or worse?"

"You never could let things go," Jack said. "And that brings us to Sakura, what are you doing here? I didn't steal anything from you."

"You might as well have," Sakura hissed.

"Let me at him! Just let me at him!" Inner growled.

"Enough," Sakura hissed quietly.

"Oh is Inner here? How is she?" Jack asked mockingly. "Maybe you came here seeking some help?"

"Shut up!" Sakura shouted, her hands turning into fists. Yūsei reached back and grabbed one. He rubbed his finger against her hand, calming her down.

"Are you still encouraging her Yūsei? You know better than that," Jack said.

"That's enough Jack," Yūsei said. "Where's my card?"

"Oh come on Yūsei, what's the rush? Don't you guys want to catch up on old times? I mean, we are family after all," Jack said.

"I want to know where my card is!" Yūsei shouted, getting angrier. Sakura noticed this and wrapped her arms around him, trying to calm him down.

"How cute, you two are almost sickening," Jack said with a sneer. "Guess she found something new to latch onto." Sakura flinched and curled into Yūsei. Jack took out a card and showed them the picture on it. "Are you talking about this old thing here? Tell me, does it look the same? Or does it look better? I've found out that you tend to view things in a different light when you're in the city."

"How could you Jack?" Yūsei growled.

"I couldn't bare to watch it just waste away in the Satellite with a loser like you," Jack said.

"But how could you? You know what that card meant to our friends. It was the only hope they had that they'd be able to get out of the Satellite. It was meant for all of us," Yūsei said.

"Well it sure helped me," Jack said. "But if you want it back that badly, then here, take it!" Jack threw the card at him and Yūsei caught it. "I don't need that old thing anymore." Yūsei looked at the white dragon on the card.

"What's wrong, having second thoughts?" Jack asked with a smirk.

"Yūsei, we have it, let's just go back home," Sakura begged.

"No," Yūsei answered. He threw the card back at Jack. He was shocked, but caught it nonetheless. Yūsei climbed off the runner and stood, glaring at Jack. "I want my card back, but I wanna make you pay for what you did. And I want that a whole lot more. When I beat you then I'll take my card back!"

"Yūsei, Yūsei, Yūsei, you always were a dreamer," Jack said, shaking his head. "Alright then, if that's how you want it. You're about to have a rude awakening.

* * *

The three old friends drove down the highway. Jack was in the front, leading Sakura and Yūsei to who knows where.

"When are you gonna tell us where we're heading, Jack?" Yūsei asked.

"Stop worrying and just enjoy the view already!" Jack said. "What about you, Sakura? You getting a little nostalgic?"

"If I'm being honest I'm actually getting a little homesick," Sakura confessed. "I wanna go back to the Satellite."

"Don't worry, we'll be back there soon enough," Yūsei told her.

"I'm sure I could find you two a trash bin somewhere," Jack said with a smirk. "After all, this is a step up from the Satellite."

"Are we gonna duel or are you just gonna play tour guide?" Yūsei asked.

"Well considering you're going to be shipped back to the Satellite, I thought I'd let you see the sights first," Jack said. "And I thought it would be nice for Sakura to get reacquainted with her old home."

"This place was not my home, it was a prison," Sakura said.

"Looks like we're here." Jack said. Yūsei and Sakura looked forward, seeing a large dueling arena ahead. "The Kaiba Dome."

* * *

"Impressive, isn't it?" Jack asked. "Television just doesn't do this place justice."

"It's something, I'll give you that," Sakura muttered. She walked over to the railing and ducked under it, walking towards one of the platforms.

"Now just imagine it filled with fans, all of them chanting your name," Jack said. A smile graced his face and he relived his past duels. The feeling it got to win, and the rush he got when everyone was cheering for him. "Unfortunately, you'll never get to experience that feeling. Once I'm done with you the only people cheering you on will be those loser friends of yours in the Satellite. That is, if they're still your friends after they learned you gave up their precious card!"

Jack held it up and Yūsei was blinded as the flood lights around the stadium lit up. "I wonder how they'll feel when they learn that you had this card in your hands but gave it back because you wanted to duel me. You're gonna regret coming here Yūsei, cause I'm about to beat you using your own card!" Jack declared. He slid the card into his deck. "Now let's get to the start line." The two climbed onto their runners and lined up.

"Hope you don't get too overwhelmed, this course can be a bit rough on first timers." Jack turned on duel mode. Soon enough the area was bathed in a purple aura.

Sakura stepped onto the highest platform and looked around the arena.

"Sakura, if you would?" Jack said. Sakura looked at him in shock but nodded. She held up her arms.

"On your mark. Get set," the two duelists revved their engines. "DUEL!" Jack and Yūsei shot forward.

"They sure are going fast," Inner said.

"How am I supposed to properly watch if I have to keep spinning?" Sakura asked.

A small holographic screen appeared in front of her. "Ask and you shall receive," Inner said.

"Stop doing that," Sakura said.

"That one actually wasn't me," Inner told her. Sakura blinked, looking at the screen in shock before turning back to the duel.

"I'll admit, I do enjoy dueling with you Yūsei," Jack confessed. "We've been dueling with these cards since we were kids. It's time to take a trip down memory lane."

"Here's to history! I summon Quilbolt Hedgehog in defense mode," Yūsei said.

"Isn't that a blast from the past," Jack said. "Now, what about this? I summon Mad Archfiend in attack mode!" Jack spun his runner around and drove backwards. "Isn't this just like old times, Yūsei? We're just going 200 miles per four faster. Now, Archfiend, destroy Quilbolt!" Archfiend crushed the skull in his stomach and used the shrapnel to attack Quilbolt. Quilbolt squealed as he was destroyed. Jack smirked. "It looks like this duel is starting the way our last one ended, with you losing those precious life points of yours."

Yūsei groaned as his points dropped down to 3000. His speed counter dropped from 1 to 0. "You're going to regret doing that, Jack!"

"Please," Jack scoffed, turning his duel runner around. "The only thing I regret right now is that this isn't being broadcasted for my millions of fans to see. They cheer for me night after night and have earned the right to see me in my greatest challenge yet. Not to mention this will be my greatest victory. You realize you're gonna lose this duel right?"

"Just keep talking Jack," Yūsei growled.

"Okay, he's getting on my nerves," Inner said. She sat crossed legged, floating in the air.

"They remind me of those two boys I used to hang out with, same hair color and everything," Sakura said.

"You mean before we went to the Satellite?" Inner asked.

"Yeah, what were their names?" Sakura muttered, thinking it over.

"It'll come to you later, just focus on the duel," Inner said.

* * *

Across the city a man stood watching the duel on the monitor. A woman beside him was watching anxiously.

"You have nothing to worry about Mr. Goodwin, this pathetic Satellite is nothing compared to Jack," A short man said. He grinned maliciously. "Just say the word and I'll call Sector Security to put a stop to them. Then we can ship him off to the Facility where he won't cause anymore trouble."

"But what about the girl?" The blue haired woman asked.

"What girl Mina?" The man asked.

"The pink haired girl that arrived with them, Lazar," Mina said. "Where'd she go?" A screen appeared, showing a pink haired girl. She was sitting on the highest platform, watching the race on a screen. Her legs were dangling over the edge. Even stranger, she was talking to herself. Goodwin narrowed his eyes at the sight of her.

"Well she's from the Satellite so we'll send her to the Facility as well," Lazar said.

"She looks familiar," Mina said, humming in thought.

* * *

Junk Synchron appeared on the field.

"Remember when I said you'd regret taking out Quilbolt?" Yūsei asked. "Well, thank to Junk Synchron I can bring Quilbolt back."

"Big deal," Jack said as the hedgehog appeared. "You'll have to do better than that."

"Oh believe me, I will!" Yūsei said. "I tune my Junk Synchron with my Quilbolt Hedgehog to synchro summon Junk Warrior. Let's rev it up!"

Jack rolled his eyes as Junk Warrior appeared. "You're in big trouble if that's the best you've got."

"The only thing in trouble is your Archfiend. Junk Warrior, send him to the scrap heap!" Junk Warrior punched Archfiend and the monster was destroyed. Jack didn't seem to mind as his points were knocked to 3500.

"Is he smiling about that?" Inner asked.

"He is," Sakura nodded.

"It's my turn now!" Jack said, drawing a card.

"Is he smirking?" Inner asked.

"He is," Sakura nodded.

"What's he got?" Inner asked.

"How should I know?" Sakura hissed.

"I play my Twin Shield Defender in defense mode," Jack said, summoning the monster. "And I'll place this little face down for later."

"Jack's toying with him," Sakura said, leaning back.

"I noticed. He's normally more straightforward with duels." Inner nodded in agreement. She sighed and turned back to the duel.

"You thinking about giving up yet?" Jack asked.

"Not happening!" Yūsei said. "I summon Speed Warrior! And his 900 attack points are added to Junk Warrior, but you already know that. After all, I did use this combo to get Sector Security off your back! If it weren't for me you'd probably still be rotting away in the Facility."

"Were you expecting a thank you?" Jack asked sarcastically. "Well you're out of luck."

"I assume you know the drill by now," Yūsei said. "Speed Warrior use your special ability and take out Twin Shield Defender."

Speed Warrior kicked Twin Shield Defender and destroyed the monster. Shield Warrior turned into a purple mist, shocking Yūsei.

"Yūsei, it's time to say goodbye to half of Junk Warrior's life points," Jack said. "Since you destroyed Twin Shield Defender it's special Ability is activated. Bet you're glad Sector Security wasn't as prepared as I am."

"But you've left yourself wide open for an attack," Yūsei said.

"Only if that card he has stays face down," Inner said.

"This has been coming to you since our last duel, Jack," Yūsei said. "Junk Warrior, attack him directly." Jack smirked as he was attacked.

"You remembered how you said you saved me from Sector Security?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Yūsei asked.

Jack smirked. "It was all a set up. It was just a ploy to get me closer to your runner. Getting your dragon card just happened to be a bonus," Jack said smugly.

"Oh no," Inner said.

"No," Sakura said sadly.

"That's not true!" Yūsei growled.

"That's wishful thinking," Jack said. "I was the only one that seemed to know what your runner could do. I saw an opportunity and so I took it." Jack smirked when he noticed that Yūsei had no comment. He looked over towards the platform and saw that Sakura looked devastated.

"How...how could he..." Sakura whispered, covering her mouth in shock,

"You know, they say that the truth will set you free," Jack said. "But this truth is gonna cost ya! Once I play my Space Gate trap card, you'll never see your Stardust Dragon again. And then once this duel is over, you're going straight back to the Satellite. That's where the garbage is supposed to go."

"What about us?" Inner asked.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.

"He didn't mention us," Inner pointed out.

"He's just focused on Yūsei, that's it," Sakura said. She went back to the duel and frowned.

"With Space Gate in play this duel is about to get kicked into overdrive," Jack said. "You see, every time you attack me, I gain a gate counter. And since you've already attacked twice I have two." Two orbs of light started circling Jack's duel runner. "This reminds me of when you helped me back in the Satellite. You thought you were doing the right thing, but all you did was set yourself up for disappointment. Just like now."

"I guess I have no other choice than to place a face down," Yūsei huffed.

"And now the attack points of your warriors will return to normal," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "I know the drill."

* * *

"See?" Lazar said with a smirk. "Jack will be winning very soon."

"This duel is far from over, Lazar," Mina said.

"Are you doubting Jack's skills?" Lazar asked.

"Never," Mina said quickly. "The duel just isn't done yet."

"This pathetic, foolish, dueler is only doing what Jack allows him to do," Lazar said.

"Is there anything on the girl yet?" Mina asked.

"Not yet," Lazar said. "They haven't given her a name yet."

* * *

Jack laughed viciously. "Come on, get the lead out Yūsei! I got the need for speed!" He drove up onto the wall and turned around, looking at him. He slid towards the top of the curve. "At least this way I can see you."

"Just move already!" Yūsei said angrily.

"What? You eager to be defeated already?" Jack asked tauntingly. "I hope you know this isn't going to happen as quick as I drive. I plan on picking you apart. When I'm through with you, you're gonna wish you had stayed in the Satellite. Now, it's my turn!" Jack turned around and drew a card.

Jack looked back at Yūsei and smirked viciously. "I play my speed spell, Speed Fusion. Since I have four speed counters I can reap the benefits of it's abilities. With this card I can fusion summon a monster that will have you quaking in fear." Jack held up two cards.

"Here's a little equation for you," Jack said. "Take one part Big Piece Golem and add one part Medium Piece Golem. Mix well and the result is, Multiple Piece Golem!" A giant rock monster appeared on the field.

"That's a big Golem," Inner said, whistling in awe.

"Don't worry, Yūsei can handle it," Sakura said.

"You hope," Inner said quietly.

"Golem, send his Speed Warrior to the pit stop, permanently," Jack ordered. Golem cried out and destroyed Speed Warrior.

"How about this, I play my Defense Draw trap card!" Yūsei said. "Thanks to this trap all the damage your Golem cause has been reduced to zero! And I also get to draw a card."

"Not bad," Jack said. "And here I was thinking that you had thrown in the towel. I guess you've still got a little fire in you after all. Too bad I'm going to extinguish that flame as well as any hope you had of getting Stardust Dragon back." Jack laughed as he turned his runner around. "Now how about we shake things up a bit. By using my Golem's special ability I can break him down into the two fusion monsters that are in my graveyard. It's kinda like recycling, which you should know all about. After all that garbage dump that you call home is all about recycling."

The giant Golem broke down, forming Medium and Big Piece Golem. They soon joined hands. "Now I'll use Medium Piece Golem's special ability and summon Small Piece Golem." The three Golems lined up in front of each other and let out a roar.

"That's quiet a rock collection you have there, Jack," Yūsei said sarcastically.

"Well you know the old saying, the more the merrier," Jack said with a shrug. "But if you think that's it's crowded now, wait until I summon Dark Resonator!"

"It's a tuner!" Sakura gasped.

"What's he planning on doing?" Inner asked.

"I know exactly what he's doing," Sakura said.

"And now, I tune Dark Resonator with Big Piece Golem to summon my most powerful monster," Jack said. A large pillar of light shot out. Jack spun his runner around, looking at Yūsei with a smug look. "It's time to move into the fast lane. Now, Yūsei, feel the power of my strongest monster-"

"Red Dragon Archfiend," Inner breathed out, staring at the dragon in awe. Red Dragon Archfiend let out a terrifying roar.

"That's your most prized possession," Yūsei said.

"Yes, I only bring it out on special occasions," Jack said. "I can't think of something more special than this. I actually wanted my dragon to be the one to defeat you, but then I thought of something a bit more fun." Yūsei narrowed his eyes and growled. "By sending my Space Gate trap card to the graveyard I can summon a new monster to the field. Now say hello to my tuner monster Sinister Sproket!"

Yūsei narrowed his eyes and Jack merely smirked. "He may be small, but don't count on that for long. I tune him with Small and Medium Piece Golem to synchro summon your destruction." The three monsters melded together and another large pillar of light appeared.

Sakura slowly stood up, staring as a large dark figure uncurled it's wings.

"Tell me, does he look familiar? He should, he is your dragon after all!" Jack boasted.

"Stardust Dragon," Sakura said in awe. Stardust Dragon shined brightly and little lights fell from his body, giving off the illusion of stardust. Sakura reached out for the dragon, as if she wanted to touch it.

"It's been much too long," Yūsei said.

"Stardust," Sakura whispered, her eyes never leaving the dragon.

* * *

"Two dragons?" Mina asked in shock.

"That's why our Jack Atlas is the best," Lazar said. "He'd never lose to someone from the Satellite like Yūsei Fudo. Next time you say something Ms. Mina, make sure it's actually useful." Mina glared at him and Lazar smirked back.

"Check that temper of yours dear," Lazar said mockingly. "Or perhaps you should just run off and get us some extra hot low fat lattes."

"Silence you two," Goodwin ordered. "Things are starting to get interesting. Now let's see if Jack can finish the job."

"And what of the girl?" Lazar asked.

"Leave her be for the moment," Goodwin said.

* * *

Jack could help himself as he started laughing. "You wanted your Stardust Dragon back, well here he is! You know what they say, be careful what you wish for." Jack started laughing again as Yūsei's glare hardened. Sakura looked away from Stardust down to the feuding friends. She clasped her hands over her heart, looking at them in sadness.


	7. Chapter 7

"When I gave your Stardust Dragon back you really should have just taken it and ran back to the Satellite," Jack said. "But then you had to get cocky. You had to show that you could stand up to me, the Master of Faster."

"I'm going to do so much more than hold my own," Yūsei said lowly. "I summon Shield Warrior in defense mode! And I switch my Junk Warrior to defense mode as well!" The two monsters turned blue and took a defensive position. "And then I place one card face down and end my turn. Your move old buddy."

"Leaving your two monsters in defense mode? You gotta be more aggressive than that if you wanna win," Jack said. "But then, why am I even surprised? You never were one to fight. That was always her job."

"Well maybe if people didn't piss me off so often I wouldn't be the fighter!" Sakura shouted.

"Don't get pissed off so easily," Inner said.

"You're the reason why I get pissed so easily," Sakura growled. Jack smirked and switched from reverse to forward. He passed Yūsei and they glared at each other as they crossed paths. Jack turned around, staying behind Yūsei.

"You can't just cower and hide and get by. Haven't you learned that?" Jack asked. "Well here's your proof. Red Dragon Archfiend can destroy all of your monsters, even if they're in defense mode! So say goodbye to your little pals." Red Dragon roared and lifted his claws. They caught on fire and he used them to slash Yūsei's monsters, destroying them instantly.

"Aw, what's the matter Yūsei? Didn't you learn anything on the playground? After all the times those mean little bullies would attack you and your little gang of mechanic rejects?" Jack asked mockingly. "Now tell me, what happened when you fought back? That's right, all you got was a black eye!" He growled and gritted his teeth. "Didn't you run away from the Satellite to get even with me or something? Why are you running away like a coward? Maybe it's because you're still that same little kid on the playground that you were back then!"

"Jack Atlas! That is enough!" Sakura screamed at the duelist. She stood up and glared at him.

"Here we go," Inner said with a smirk. She straightened herself so she was standing. "Time for some fun."

"Did I strike a nerve?" Jack asked her. Sakura grit her teeth and glared at him.

"If you don't stop this nonsense right now I'll-"

"You'll what?" Jack asked, cutting her off. "You aren't going to lay a finger on me! You're terrified of even you're own shadow. What could you possibly do."

"That's enough," Sakura said. She bowed her head and her shoulders started shaking.

"Aw, did I make you cry?" Jack said teasingly.

"Leave her alone Jack," Yūsei told him. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"Then why is she here?" Jack asked. "Oh wait, I know the answer. She's only here because she latched onto you after I left. It can be a pain when she latches, but there are a few benefits, I will admit that."

"Shut up," Sakura said quietly. Despite that, both of the duelists seemed to here her.

"What was that?" Jack asked.

"I said, shut up!" Sakura screamed. She lifted her head up and the floors around her started to crack. But her face, she was livid. Her teeth were barred and her eyes were wide and filled with hate. But the thing that struck them the most was that there were tears on her face.

"Calm down!" Yūsei shouted at her. "Just try to relax and stay calm!"

"I think she's past that," Jack said with a smirk. "Look closer." Yūsei looked back at Sakura. His eyes widened when he saw a faint figure floating beside her and grinning maliciously.

* * *

"Oh, well isn't this an interesting development," Lazar said with a smile.

"She has psychic powers," Mina said in awe.

"It may very well be more than that," Goodwin said. His eyes focused on the figure beside her. The figment seemed to settle down and grabbed Sakura's attention, trying to calm her down.

"Should we have Sector Security send her here when they grab her and Yūsei?" Lazar asked.

"We shall just have to see," Goodwin said.

* * *

"I can't believe you would do that to her," Yūsei said with a sigh. "I thought we actually meant something to you, Jack. Or were you just pretending to be our friend?"

"How about we get back to the duel," Jack said. "I've had my fun with her, so now it's time to get back to you. Now, where were we? Oh I remember now. Since you don't have any monsters on the field, Stardust Dragon is free to attack you directly! Hope it doesn't hurt you too much." Jack said.

"Sure you don't," Yūsei muttered sarcastically. Stardust shot energy at Yūsei, draining his life points down to 500. Yūsei grit his teeth as he felt the attack. He could feel it down to his bones, it was very real, and it would only get worse. His runner swerved as he lost two speed counters.

He glanced back at Sakura who was trying to compose herself. He looked forward and frowned. He couldn't let her know what had happened. If she found out she was influencing the duel, things could get worse. But if she didn't calm down soon, he would feel a little more than a slight burning sensation.

"Jack, you sure do love to make my life difficult," he muttered under his breath.

"I bet when you came here you didn't even dream that the card you came to retrieve would be the one to defeat you," Jack said. "Really, you should have just stayed in that dump you called a home."

"Come on, you have to calm down," Inner said, placing her hands on Sakura's shoulders. She floated in front of her.

"Why? You normally encourage this," Sakura said. She fell to her knees.

"Because, we're hurting Yūsei," Inner told her. Sakura looked up in shock.

"We are?" she asked. Inner nodded.

"I know how much he means to you," Inner said. "The last attack really hurt him. And if Jack attacks him again that could be it."

"But that won't happen," Sakura said. "Yūsei is the best, he-he can't lose."

"And he won't," Inner assured her. "But only if you calm down. He's already strained from the last duel. He needs a break." Sakura nodded and took a few deep breaths. "Good, keep at it."

"What are you waiting for Yūsei?" Jack asked. "You haven't made a move in two laps. You do know that it's your turn, right? Thinking about giving up?" Jack asked.

"I wouldn't count on that if I were you," Yūsei told him. "I summon Sonic Chick in defense mode!" The small pink bird ran onto the field, turning blue instantly.

"Just like in grade school, you're still hanging out with chickens," Jack taunted.

"Well at least this chicken isn't gonna betray it's best friend and then run away in the middle of the night," Yūsei bit back. "Besides, this chicken is gonna stay with me for the long haul! I place one card face down and end my turn."

Jack smirked and revved his runner, catching up to Yūsei. "How do you think that this duel is gonna end? Be honest. Let's humor ourselves and say that you actually stand a chance at winning against me. And let's say you do somehow win, what then? What are you gonna do after that? You haven't thought this revenge fantasy of yours through have you?" Jack drew a card.

"Well I'll tell what's actually going to happen. Here's how this is gonna go down, so pay attention. I'm going to win this duel. After that I'm going to press a button on my runner and an entire security team will be here. And guess what happens next. You and Sakura get shipped off to the Facility," Jack said spitefully. "And speaking of my victory, Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Sonic Chick!"

Red Dragon roared and swung his claws at Sonic Chick. His claws were deflected though, not able to even touch a single feather on Sonic Chick.

"Oh right, Sonic Chick has that annoying little ability, but it doesn't matter," Jack said. "Thanks to my Red Dragon Archfiend's ability, I can get rid of any monsters that you have that are in defense mode. Didn't I just tell you that you need to get aggressive? How about I give you an example?" Fire surrounded Sonic Chick but it was just dispelled. Jack growled in irritation. "Always thinking, aren't you?"

"It's what I do best," Yūsei told him. "I'm sure you remember this classic move from when we used to play for fun." A trap card revealed itself.

"Oh yeah, your Remote Revenge trap card! I forgot you had that," Jack said with a slight smile.

"There's a lot that you've forgotten," Yūsei said. "How about I refresh your memory. First this card deflects your attack, but it's not finished there. After that it takes down all of your monsters in attack mode. And I believe both of your dragons fit the description." Sonic Chick lit on fire. The fire struck out, aiming for the two dragons.

"You've got a kink for revenge, don't you?" Jack asked with a smirk. "But your attack is going to fail miserably, just like your little revenge scheme on me. But I'm afraid Stardust is gonna take one for the team." Stardust flew in front of the attack, taking it. "If you play a card that can destroy all of my monsters Stardust can sacrifice itself to save everyone else. How does it feel knowing that you've destroyed your favorite beast?"

Stardust Dragon let out a roar as he slowly disappeared. "Too bad. Oh well, I guess it had to be like that if I wanted Red Dragon to stay, which I do. Yūsei, does this remind you of anything else? Think real hard. This is just like how I had to step on you in order to get out of the Satellite." Once Stardust was gone Jack placed down two cards. "I think I'll just revive  _my_  Stardust Dragon so that you can get another look at it." Stardust Dragon roared as he was summoned back to the field. "Look long and hard Yūsei, cause after tonight, you're never going to see him again." Yūsei growled as Stardust roared.

"Maybe you'll even get the chance to destroy him again," Jack said. "With friends like you, Yūsei, who needs enemies? And with both dragons on my field it looks like this battle has gone full circle, hasn't it?"

"Not quite Jack," Yūsei said with a smirk.

"Why is he smirking?" Inner asked.

"He's gonna win," Sakura said with a smile.

"I activate my trap card, Harmonia Mirror!" Yūsei said. The card revealed itself. A young woman appeared, holding a mirror. Stardust Dragon reflected in the mirror. "Check this out. Because you just used a method other than the regular synchro summon I can use Harmonia Mirror to get Stardust Dragon back on my side! Welcome back, old friend." Stardust disappeared and Jack tsked.

"You know that I don't really care, right?" Jack asked. "I was just using him to make this duel interesting."

"Well you sure accomplished that," Yūsei said. "Now, it's time to rev it up, with  _my_  Stardust Dragon!" Stardust appeared on Yūsei's side of the field, roaring confidently.

"He has Stardust back!" Sakura said excitedly.

"He actually did it," Inner said in awe.

"Not bad Yūsei, I will admit that," Jack said. "It seems that you have learned a thing or two since our days in the Satellite. So now it's Red Dragon Archfiend against Stardust Dragon, in a fight to the finish." The two dragons turned towards each other and roared.

"Looks like we'll finally get to see who's dragon is better," Jack said.

"Ugh, this is starting to sound like a contest of measuring d-"

"Don't say that!" Sakura scolded Inner.

"What? It's true," Inner said.

"And you'll finally get the chance to see the duelist I've become," Yūsei said. "Remember your little speech after you won our last duel? Back then I didn't want to admit it, but you were right. Those words stung, but they also taught me a valuable lesson."

"Oh really? And what was that?" Jack asked.

"In order to be the best duelist I can, I have to believe in the power of my deck! And ever since that day I've thought about our duel over and over again," Yūsei said. "I came up with new strategies and combinations that I would have never even thought about."

"Come on Yūsei, your actions will speak for themselves," Jack said. "Now let's see what your deck is capable."

"You got it," Yūsei said. "The sky is the limit, especially since I finally have Stardust Dragon on my field." The two dragons roared at each other once more.

* * *

"This Satellite doesn't know when to quit, does he?" Lazar asked. "Mr. Goodwin, I'd be happy to send in Security to end this duel right now."

"That won't be necessary," Goodwin said. Lazar nodded and looked back at the duel.

* * *

"Why is he laughing?" Sakura asked. Jack Atlas was laughing, and neither girls knew why.

"Maybe he's finally lost it," Inner suggested.

"So let me get this straight," Jack said, trying to stop laughing. "You think that just because Stardust is on your field, you actually have a chance at beating me? Well you won't. It wouldn't matter how many Stardust Dragons you have on your field you still wouldn't be able to defeat me. I'm the best, and you can't beat the best. Now bring it on."

"Alright, Yūsei's gonna win and that's that," Inner said. She glowed for a moment before smirking.

"What did you just do?" Sakura asked.

Yūsei was about to draw a card but stopped when he saw it glow. He took a deep breath and drew a card. He glanced at Jack and looked back at the card. "Thank you, I needed a little boost," he said under his breath.

"What was that?" Jack asked.

"Nothing," Yūsei said. "I play my speed spell Silver Contrails. And since Stardust Dragon is a wind attribute monster he gains 1000 attack points. Now Stardust, ice him!" Stardust growled and attacked Red Dragon. Yūsei gasped as he felt his arm throbbing in pain. Jack felt the same and grit his teeth.

"What...What is this? Why does my arm hurt so bad?" Yūsei hissed.

Inner choked back a scream. She gripped her chest and curled in on herself.

"Inner? What's wrong?" Sakura asked, worried.

"Can't you feel it?" Inner hissed. Her body twitched as she felt immense pain. She let out a silent scream and curled up tighter. The pain increased and Sakura lost her breath as she felt something tighten in her chest. She fell to her knees and gripped her shirt.

"What is this?" Sakura gasped out.

Jack breathed and recovered from the pain. "Nice try Yūsei, better luck next time!" Sonic Chick screamed as she was destroyed.

"What happened to Sonic Chick?" Yūsei gasped.

"You can thank my Synchro Deflector trap card for that," Jack said. "With this trap card I can deflect any attack on a synchro monster and redirect it to one of your monsters. The one that has the lowest attack points to be precise." Yūsei grit his teeth and growled lowly.

"And now that you've attacked, your Silver Contrails spell wears off, meaning Stardust Dragon's points return to normal," Jack said.

"It's still my turn Jack," Yūsei said. "And I'm far from done. I summon Ghost Gardna in defense mode!"

"Aw, that's cute, you're trying to protect your little dragon," Jack said.

"I place two cards face down and end my turn. It's your move," Yūsei said. He grunted as his arm pulsed in pain again.

* * *

"There's an incoming call, sir," Mina said.

"Put it on speaker," Goodwin ordered. Mina nodded and pressed the flashing button on the phone. A holographic screen appeared, showing a scientist.

"You may want to find a large object and hide beneath it," The scientist said.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Goodwin asked.

"There's a major power surge! Everything's out of control!" The scientist said urgently. "If things keep up as they are, things are gonna go crazy real quick!"

"Record all your findings, Zigzix" Goodwin ordered.

"Very well sir."

* * *

"It's time to end this, Yūsei," Jack said, drawing a card. He growled as he felt his arm pulse. He looked at his card and smirked. "I think Red Dragon Archfiend would like to attack Stardust Dragon himself. Go, tear him apart!" Red Dragon pulled his claws back, preparing to attack. Ghost Gardna flew in front of Stardust. "Hey, down in front!" Jack shouted.

"Ghost Gardna's special ability allows it to draw your monster's attention and become the focus of your attack," Yūsei explained. "So you won't be attacking Stardust this round. And since Ghost Gardna's been destroyed-"

"I know, I know," Jack said. "I remember Ghost Gardna from the Satellite. And here's where you tell me that this is the part when Ghost Gardna will lower Red Dragon's attack by 1000 until the end of this turn. Did you seriously think I didn't see this coming?"

"Well did you see this?" Yūsei asked, playing a card. "I activate Counter Attack Beacon trap card! And when your monster destroys one of mine. Then it gives one of my monsters a 500 attack point boost and forces that monster to attack even though it's not my turn."

"Interesting, so now Stardust has more attack than my dragon," Jack said.

"You got that right," Yūsei said. "Stardust Dragon, atta-ah!" Yūsei gasped as his arm throbbed in pain. "Attack!" He shouted, ignoring the pain.

"Not bad, but it's still not good enough," Jack said. "I activate the Prideful Roar trap card. For the low price of a mere 1000 life points I can give my Red Dragon 1300 attack points!" Jack's points lowered to 900 points. "Now, it's show time!" Red Dragon and Stardust blew out powerful attacks at each other. The attacks collided, battling against one another.

Yūsei grunted as his arm throbbed in pain. He pulled his arm away and panted, looking at it. Jack gasped as his arm throbbed as well. He let go of the handle and looked at it. Sakura curled closer to herself as her body began to ache and throb. Beside her Inner was writhing in pain. An angry red and black aura surrounded the dragons. Inner gasped as she was surrounded by the same aura.

"I-Inner," Sakura gasped.

The attacks finished off, with Stardust managing to stay in place. "What's going on?" Jack shouted. "Red Dragon's got more points than Stardust, how is he still on the field?" He looked over at Yūsei and saw Shield Warrior's card. "You can't play that card, I sent him to the graveyard!"

"But that's where his special ability activates," Yūsei said. "If I remove Shield Warrior from play he can save a monster from being destroyed! But don't worry, I still get hit with 300 points of damage." Yūsei said. His points reduced to 200. "And I'm pretty sure Prideful Roar is only good for one attack, so Red Dragon Archfiend returns to normal."

"Don't get cocky, this isn't over yet!" Jack said. "I play the speed spell-ah!" He gasped as his arm throbbed. He nearly dropped his card because of the pain.

"What is with this pain?" Yūsei grunted. He gasped as he noticed that his arm was glowing.

"Yūsei, are you doing this?" Jack shouted, looking at his arm. He could make out the winged mark on his arm.

"Not me," Yūsei said, tightening his hand into a fist. He hissed, trying to block the pain.

"Then is it her?" Jack asked, looking over at Sakura.

"I don't think so," Yūsei replied, seeing Sakura convulse in pain. "Otherwise she wouldn't be in pain as well!"

Sakura gasped and looked over at Inner. The figment was glowing bright red, and her eyes were glowing yellow. She slowly raised her arm. Her limb protested the movement, trying to shrink back from the pain. She reached out trying to grab Inner but her fingertips just passed right through her side. Her eyes widened as Inner disappeared. "I-Inner!" Sakura screamed. She weakly lifted her head, looking around in fright. She looked up and saw that the black and red aura started to come together, forming a stream.

Two golden eyes appeared towards the front. Wings sprouted from its back. A tail formed and swished back and forth. "A d-dragon?" Sakura gasped in confusion.

"What is this Yūsei? What are you trying to pull?" Jack shouted. The dragon roared. The three in the dome looked at the dragon in awe. Their eyes started to glow red, matching the dragon.

* * *

"I don't know what I'm looking at!" Zigzix shouted. "The core reactor is going crazy! Space and time are colliding like I've never seen! Atoms are smashing into each other, particles are colliding." Goodwin ignored Zigzax, smiling at the sight of the dragon. Finally, the moment he had been waiting for has arrived.

* * *

"I'm not trying to pull anything!" Yūsei shouted.

"Well then who's dragon is that?" Jack shouted. "I'll teach you to play tricks with me! I play a speed spell, End of Storm!"

"Jack! No! We gotta stop this!" Yūsei shouted.

"No way!" Jack shouted.

"Fine, have it your way!" Yūsei growled. "But I know we're going to regret this. I activate my trap card-!" He didn't even get to finish his sentence.A force collided with his and Jack's runners, making them swerve and roll back.

* * *

Lazar gasped as the power suddenly went out. "Who turned out the lights?" A few moments later the power came back. "Looks like we've switched over to the back up generator."

"We've lost all visuals, sir," Mina announced. Goodwin narrowed his eyes.

* * *

The mysterious dragon flew towards the sky and roared, spreading his wings. Sakura slowly stood up and looked over towards her friends. She saw Yūsei and Jack's runners tipped over, steam pouring out of them. She walked towards the edge of the platform and stumbled down. She groaned as she couldn't find the energy to push herself back up.

Near the runner Jack slowly stood up, gripping his arm. "What's was that?"

Yūsei grunted as his arm burned. He threw his head back, yelling out in pain. "It burns." He looked down at his arm and gasped when he saw the glowing mark. He took off his glove and pushed up his sleeve, looking at the face like mark on his arm.

"So it's not just me," Jack said. Yūsei looked over at the blond and saw that his arm was glowing as well. Jack had done the same as Yūsei, revealing the mark on his arm. His mark looked like wings.

"What's going on Jack?" Yūsei asked, slowly standing up. Jack blinked in shock, seeing Yūsei's arm. "Do you know what this is?" Jack silently stared at his friend. "You do, don't you?"

* * *

"First the energy was all over the place. It broke all the counters!" Zigzax said. "It went ballistic on itself. Then the particle rotator stopped spinning and well, that means it's broken."

"Do whatever you have to do get power back to the city," Goodwin ordered.

"What about Mr. Atlas?" Mina asked. Goodwin looked down at Lazar. The elf nodded and bowed.

* * *

"Jack, saying something man, what's going on?" Yūsei asked. The light on his arm slowly faded, revealing unmarked skin. Jack's mark actually stayed once the glowing stopped. Jack just stared at him. The area around them lit up and Yūsei grunted, shielding his eyes from the light.

"You are in violation of Code 36B, which states that no citizen of the Satellite may enter New Domino City. As such we are placing you under arrest, do not try to run, you're surrounded." Yūsei glared at them and looked at Jack.

"Wait a minute," Yūsei said. He looked around, trying to find a flash of pink. His eyes widened when he saw a few security officers surround Sakura. They pulled her arms behind her back and lifted her off the ground. The pinkette's head lolled forward. "...no..." He looked back at Security as they closed in on them. He didn't do anything as they pushed his arms behind his back and handcuffed him. He glared at Jack as he was taken away.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura looked around wildly as she was forced to sit down. “Where am I? Where's Yūsei? Where is he?”

“Enough yelling!” One of the officers said, slapping her. They strapped her to the chair. Sakura gasped as a helmet was placed on her head.

“What's going on?” She asked.

“Look at this poor little girl,” Someone said, walking into the room.

“Good morning judge,” Officer said.

“Please, can someone tell me what's going on?” Sakura asked meekly. “Where am I? What happened?”

“Look at her, she's scared,” Judge said. Sakura frowned as she heard the boredom in his voice. “Let's look at the complaints.” The room was silent save for shuffling paper. “Where's her name?”

“What?” Officer said.

“Her name, what's her name?” Judge clarified.

“We don't know, she refuses to tell us,” Officer said. “The blood work should be back soon. Just get on with it.”

“Alright, let's see what we got,” Judge said once more. “Malicious mischief, theft, blah blah blah, oh what's this?” Sakura tightened her fists as she heard the smirk in his voice. “Entering the limits of New Domino City without a license?” Sakura gulped as she tried to move her head, but the helmet wouldn't let her. “I do believe I just dealt with your boyfriend.”

“Yūsei?” Sakura asked, relaxing at the name. She tensed when she realized what it had meant.

“Yeah, that's it,” Judge said. “I gave him a gift, the same one I'm gonna give to you.” Sakura's eyes widened when she saw a laser lower in front of her vision. She desperately tried to move.

“Stay still!” Officer shouted. She was slapped once more. Sakura took a deep breath as laser started up.

“A little tracking dye. It's too keep an eye on you,” Judge said. Sakura closed her eye as the laser drew on her face. She opened them once she heard it turn off.

“I thought that would be worse,” Sakura said in relief.

“Oh, we're not done yet,” Officer said with a smirk. Sakura winced as she felt the new mark burn, the tracking agents setting in and activating. She choked back a scream as the pain grew stronger. She tried moving her head, but the helmet was still locking her in place.

“Stop your thrashing!” the officer said, punching her in the gut. Sakura coughed and tried to curl up, but couldn't.

“Wait!” An officer shouted, bursting into the room.

“What is it now?” Judge huffed.

“The blood work just came back!” the new officer said. Sakura's eyes widened and she shrank back in her seat, trying to disappear.

“Well, tell us her name!” Officer shouted.

“See for yourself,” the newcomer said, handing the paperwork to Judge. Judge looked over it, his eyes widening.

“Who is she?” Officer asked.

“Sakura Haruno,” Judge said.

“Haruno,” Officer gasped.

“She's that missing girl from eleven years ago. The heiress of Haruno Company,” Newcomer said. The three looked at her in thought. Sakura shrank back even further at their stares.

“H-Hello,” She said nervously.

“This changes everything,” Judge said.

* * *

 

“Let me out of here already,” Sakura groaned, walking around the room. She knew exactly what would happen and she didn't like it one bit. She looked up at the security camera that followed her every move. “Please don't make me do this! Send me to the Facility! Please, I beg you!” She said desperately. However she got no response. “Figures.” She rolled her eyes and walked around the table in the room.

She stopped in front of a mirror. Her eyes traced the yellow marker on her face. There was a yellow line running from her hairline down to her right eye. It even went over her eyelid. There was an upside down double pyramid under her eyes as well.

She sighed, knowing that she was being watched from behind the glass. “Will you at least tell me what happened to Yūsei?” She asked. “That's all I want, please, where is he?” When she got no response she growled and kicked the table. “Someone answer me!” She shouted.

“Relax, I'm here,” Inner said, appearing beside her. Sakura looked over at her and glared. She noticed that there wasn't a yellow mark anywhere on her face. Inner seemed to know what she was doing and sighed, covering her right eye. “I'm sorry.” Sakura looked away, glaring at the ground. She sat down in the chair and crossed her arms. “Hey, if it's any consolation, I would tell you what I knew about Yūsei in a heart beat if I knew.” Inner said. “But I know as much as you do. Even less.”

“Forgiven,” Sakura muttered under her breath. Inner breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at her. They both looked up as the door handle moved. “Go.” she said quietly. Inner nodded and disappeared. The door opened and Sakura steeled her face as her mother and father entered the room.

“Sakura!” Her mother gasped, running over to her. She held out her arms, reaching out to hug her daughter. Sakura stayed still and allowed her mother to do as she wished. Hitomi pulled back, looking down at her daughter. “It is you.” Hitomi moved, allowing Takeno to see Sakura.

“What's that mark on her face?” Takeno yelled at the officer that brought them in.

“She entered the limits of New Domino City without a permit,” Officer said. “It turns out that she's been a resident of the Satellite for some time now.”

“How did you get back here?” Hitomi asked. Sakura looked away from her mother, frowning. “Oh, never mind, I'm just so glad you're back. You're finally back.”

* * *

 

Hitomi urged Sakura into their house. Sakura's eyes widened as she saw two other families sitting there as well. And she knew exactly who they were. The Uchihas and Uzumakis, partners of her father's.

“So it's true!” Minato gasped, standing up.

“Security did find her,” Fugaku said.

“I'm so relieved,” Mikoto said, smiling at Sakura. Sakura backed up, but Hitomi pushed her further into the living room.

“Sakura, you remember Naruto and Sasuke, right?” Hitomi asked, gesturing to the two boys. Naruto ran forward and hugged Sakura tightly.

“I'm so glad you're back! I've missed you so much,” Naruto said happily. He was pulled back by Sasuke.

“Give her some room idiot,” he said. He looked at her, noticing that she looked a bit panicked.

“Oh poor dear,” Kushina said, noticing the same thing. “We've overwhelmed her.”

“Nonsense, she's just fine,” Takeno said. “She probably hasn't socialized with people in a while.” That seemed to snap Sakura out of it.

“Yūsei!” She gasped, remembering her friend. “Where is he? Where's Yūsei?”

“Yūsei?” Hitomi repeated.

“Is he the one that took you from us?” Takeno asked angrily.

“No! Yūsei's my friend! He brought me here! Where is he? I have to know if he's okay!” Sakura said, breathing quickly.

“Sakura, calm down,” Inner said, appearing beside her.

“I can't,” Sakura said, her breathing picking up. “Not until I know where he is.”

“Sector Security told us that you came here alone,” Hitomi said. “You must be mistaken.”

“No!” Sakura shouted. “I came with Yūsei! He's gotta be-!” She gasped as she remembered everything Jack said. “Take me to the Facility! I've gotta see him!” Her parents looked at her in shock, as did their guests.

“You're not going to the Facility,” Takeno said.

“And why not? I would have gone there anyway if they hadn't of figured out who I was!” Sakura said.

“You really would have gone to the Facility?” Naruto asked.

“If it meant I knew where Yūsei was than of course!” Sakura said.

“Calm down!” Inner told her, moving in front of her.

“But Yūsei,” Sakura breathed.

“Will understand,” Inner said. “We knew that this was a possible outcome of going with him. He'll understand. Just calm down. Panicking isn't going to help us at all.” Sakura nodded and steadied her breathing, taking slow shaky breaths.

“You feeling alright?” Sasuke asked. Sakura blinked, realizing that he had drawn her close. Naruto was rubbing circles on her back, trying to calm her down. She pushed them away and backed up. She shook her head and ran. She opened the first door she found and ran into the room, closing it behind her.

She turned around and leaned against the door. She noticed she was in a bathroom. She walked over to the sink and splashed her face with water.

“What happened last night?” Sakura asked.

“I don't know,” Inner said. “I don't exactly have all the answers.”

“Right, sorry,” Sakura said. “But what do we do about them?” She asked, gesturing to the door. Inner looked around, her eyes settling on a window. Sakura followed her gaze and sighed.

“We're 40 stories up in the middle of a city, next,” Sakura said.

“Sorry, that was our normal plan,” Inner said. “We could just wait it out.”

“They'll come knocking soon,” Sakura said.

“Maybe you could try going back out there, you've calmed down,” Inner said.

“Alright, yeah, I could do that,” Sakura nodded. She took a deep breath and opened the door, returning to the living room. She was confused when she didn't see everyone else.

“Where'd they go?” Inner asked.

“I hope you're happy,” Takeno said. “They left because of the stunt you pulled.”

“Don't blame me for that,” Sakura said. “You were the ones that jumped me with all that. By the way, what the hell was that?”

“Sakura, mind your tongue,” Hitomi said.

“No!” Sakura said.

“Why don't we just sit down and talk about this,” Hitomi suggested, sitting on the couch next to her husband. Sakura sighed and dropped onto the arm chair. She crossed her arms and hung her feet off the edge.

“Why are you acting like this?” Takeno asked suddenly.

“Like what?” Sakura asked.

“Oh boy,” Hitomi said with a sigh.

“Like you were forced to be here!” Takeno shouted.

“Have you ever thought I didn't want to be here?” Sakura shouted back.

“What happened? Did you get attached to the person that took you?” Takeno asked.

“No!” Sakura shouted.

“Than what, fall in love with him or something?” Takeno asked.

“No,” Sakura said with a snort.

“Then what? Answer me!” Takeno ordered. Sakura shook her head and scoffed.

“Looks like nothing's changed,” she muttered. She looked at them and glared. “Nobody took me, I ran away.”

“You what?” Takeno growled.

“But why would you do that?” Hitomi asked.

“You two locked me in my room!” Sakura said.

“We didn't know what to do!” Hitomi said. “You were destroying everything. You nearly killed one of the maids.”

“She came into my room with a knife,” Sakura told them. They both looked shocked at that. “She came in and was muttering something under her breath. I was an abomination, possessed, things like that. She was a threat so I reacted accordingly. Besides, it's not like you treated me any better.”

“Well what were we supposed to do?” Takeno asked.

“I don't know!” Sakura shouted, glaring at him. She faced forward, glaring at her feet.

“Why did you go to that filthy place? Why did you forsake your family?” Takeno asked.

“I found a new family,” Sakura said.

“Very well, I have a client to speak to,” Takeno said. “We'll discuss this later.”

“Who is it?” Hitomi asked, trying to switch the conversation.

“Fugaku, Minato and I have a meeting with Mr. Goodwin. Jack Atlas crashed his runner,” Takeno said. Sakura blinked and looked over at him in shock.

“Jack Atlas?” She repeated. She straightened herself slowly.

“Yes,” Takeno said.

“Can I come?” Sakura asked.

“Why would you want to go?” Takeno asked, heading towards the door.

“Think of something, anything!” Inner told her.

“A chance to meet the Jack Atlas!” Sakura told him, forcing a smile on her face. “Even people in the Satellite have heard of him. I've always wanted to meet him. He's just so cool, and an amazing duelist. Not to mention he's _so_ handsome.”

“Honey, why don't you let her go with you?” Hitomi suggested.

“The last time she came with me to work she ran off,” Takeno said.

“I won't this time, promise,” Sakura said. “Please.” She looked at her father pleadingly.

“Well why don't you invite Sasuke and Naruto as well,” Hitomi suggested.

“Fine, I'll ask,” Takeno sighed in agreement.

“Good job,” Inner said. “I'm so proud of my little actress.”

“Thank you,” Sakura said with a smile, talking to both Inner and her father.

* * *

 

“Ugh, why did you have to get me new clothes first?” Sakura groaned. Her father had forced her to change, but seeing as she didn't have any clothes, they had to take a quick shopping trip. Sakura had ended up with a white low back shirt with bell sleeves. She was also wearing a long dark pink layered skirt. And the most dreaded of all, ugh, she shivers every time she sees them. Red high heels.

“You look really nice,” Naruto told her.

“Thanks,” Sakura said.

“Now behave you three,” Minato warned them.

“We will dad, promise,” Naruto told him.

“Sasuke,” Fugaku warned.

“Don't worry so much father, you've got nothing to worry about,” Sasuke said.

“Sakura, don't run off again,” Takeno told her.

“I promise not to,” Sakura said, smiling brightly.

“Alright, this is it,” Inner said. “We find Jack and get him to tell us exactly what happened to Yūsei. And get our revenge.”

“No,” Sakura hissed.

“Is something wrong?” Naruto asked.

“Huh? Oh nothing, I'm just really excited,” Sakura said. “Dueling is a lot different in the Satellite than it is here. Plus, duel runners are illegal, so I can't wait to see Jack's legendary runner up close.”

“It's gonna disappoint you,” Sasuke said. “The guy crashed it, it needs work done to get it up and running again.”

“Well maybe I can help repair it,” Sakura suggested.

“What do you know about repairing a duel runner?” Fugaku asked.

“A lot actually,” Sakura said, not letting him scare her. “Yūsei built a duel runner so we could come here. I helped him built it. Though I will admit I was mainly running diagnostics and statistics. But I still know a thing or two. Besides, you do a lot of repairing and building things in the Satellite.”

“It seems your time there may actually have some use,” Fugaku said, looking away. Sakura glared at him and stuck her tongue out. Sasuke and Naruto both chuckled and her. Sakura smiled widely as the adults looked back at them. The elevator doors opened and they were in a long hallway.

“This way,” Minato said, leading them down the hallway.

“Oh, you're here,” Mina said, noticing them.

“Yes, I hope you don't mind, but we brought our kids,” Minato said, gesturing to the three teens. Mina's eyes widened when her eyes landed on Sakura.

“O-Oh, no, it's no problem,” Mina said. “Mr. Atlas and Mr. Goodwin are out in the yard looking over the runner.” She led them through the hallway and opened a door, leading outside.

“He's got a complete house on top of a building,” Inner said, scoffing at how rich it looked. Mina led them over to Jack and Goodwin.

“They're here,” Mina announced. The two turned around. Jack's eyes widened when he saw Sakura. Sakura smirked and waved at him.

“Sorry we crashed the party,” Sakura said. “Once I heard where dad was going, I just had to come along.”

“Plus our children will take over the company, so it's good that they learn the ropes,” Minato said. “And get to know our clients.”

“I understand completely,” Goodwin said. “Mina, please get some refreshments for our guests.” Mina nodded and rushed off.

“So, shall we see the runner?” Takeno asked. Jack gestured to the white runner.

“It looks fine to me,” Naruto said.

“Well it's not,” Jack said. “The runner burned out and the systems crashed.”

“How did you accomplish this?” Sakura asked. Jack glared at her, hearing the mocking tone in her voice.

“I was practicing,” Jack said simply. “Got a problem with that?”

“No, just curiosity,” Sakura said.

“This shouldn't be a problem to fix,” Minato said. He tried accessing the systems, and hummed. “It really shouldn't take more than an hour.”

“I would appreciate it if you could do it quickly,” Jack said. With that he rushed off, passing Mina. Sakura narrowed her eyes.

“Drinks?” Mina said, holding out a tray with several cups of juice.

“Why don't you guys go?” Minato suggested. “Really, this is only one thing. And you've already learned this.”

“Sure,” Sasuke said. Sakura took no time in running off.

“Follow her please,” Takeno asked. Sasuke and Naruto nodded and ran after her.

 

* * *

Sakura entered the living room and smirked when she saw Jack.

“There you are, I've been searching all over for you,” Sakura said. Jack looked at her and frowned.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the Facility with Yūsei,” Jack said, pouring himself some coffee.

“Well, I was going to go, but then everyone found out who I was so they sent me back to my parents instead,” Sakura said. “But you knew this already, didn't you?”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Jack said, sipping his coffee.

“You knew exactly what would happen when Sector Security found me,” Sakura said.

“And what if I did?” Jack asked. Sakura narrowed her eyes at the smirk on his face. “Now let's get back to my question, why are you here?”

“Well,” Sakura said, stepping forward. “My dad said he had a meeting with a client and then he said that Jack Atlas had crashed his runner. Guess that duel caused more damage than I thought.”

“Cut to the chase,” Jack said harshly.

“Right, well, so my dad said your name and I thought 'Hey, maybe Jack knows what happened to Yūsei,'” Sakura said. “So I thought quickly and said that I had always wanted to meet the famous Jack Atlas. I played the part of a fan really well actually. And so he let me come, and here I am.”

“Fantastic,” Jack muttered.

“Now what happened last night?” Sakura asked.

“You don't remember?” Jack asked mockingly.

“Kinda hard to when I blacked out because I was in so much pain,” Sakura said.

“You were in pain?” Jack asked. “Where?”

“My whole body,” Sakura said. “But Inner got it worse.” Jack quickly walked up to her and grabbed her right arm. “Hey! Jack! What are you doing?” Jack pushed her sleeve back and stared at the unmarked skin intently. “Let go of me!” Sakura grabbed Jack's arm, her fingers gripping the mark on his arm. Both of them pulled back slowly, looking at each other.

* * *

“Where'd she go?” Naruto groaned. “We're so dead if we lost her.”

“Calm down loser, she couldn't have gotten far,” Sasuke said. “She can't use the elevator without a key.” They entered the living room and froze. Jack had an arm wrapped around Sakura's waist. Sakura's hands were on his arms. And they were locked in a kiss. Their eyes were half lidded as they kissed.


	9. Chapter 9

Sakura and Jack parted from the kiss. Both of their eyes were glowing red. Their minds were foggy. They couldn't form one coherent thought, no matter how hard they tried. It was like they were in a trance. Inner was floating above Jack smirking. She had her arms wrapped around his neck.

“I knew I liked him for a reason,” she purred. Her eyes moved to the mark on his arm. Sakura's hand was over the mark and it looked like it was moving, pulsing ever so slightly. You could only tell if you were looking for it.

“G-Get your hands off of Sakura-chan!” Naruto shouted. Jack and Sakura looked over at him. Once the eye contact broke, their eyes returned to normal.

“Naruto...” Sakura muttered, recognizing the blond. Her eyelids suddenly felt really heavy. And her head was spinning. “Dizzy...” she whispered, before collapsing against Jack's chest. With that Inner disappeared. Jack looked down at her in worry.

“Sakura? Oi, you okay?” Jack asked.

“Let go of her,” Sasuke said, stepping forward.

“Why don't you mind your own business,” Jack growled.

“Not until you let go of Sakura!” Naruto said.

“Like I said, mind your own damn business,” Jack said.

“Let her go!” Naruto shouted.

“What is going on in here?” Takeno asked, entering the room. “What happened?” he asked, seeing his daughter.

“I don't know, one moment we're talk and the next she collapsed,” Jack said.

“Perhaps this day was too exciting for her,” Minato said.

“Bullshit!” Naruto shouted. “He was kissing her!”

“Why on earth would I do something like that?” Jack asked, looking at him like he was crazy.

“But we saw you!” Naruto said. “Didn't we?” Naruto turned to Sasuke.

“We saw something, that's for sure,” he said.

“Can you be anymore vague?” Naruto growled, glaring at him.

“I apologize Mr. Goodwin, but it appears that I must take my daughter home,” Takeno said.

“We've actually finished your runner, Mr. Atlas,” Minato said. “I told you it wouldn't take long. The problem was actually a lot easier than I first thought.”

“Let go of her,” Naruto said once more. He and Sasuke walked over to him. Jack glared at them before handing Sakura over to them. The families excused themselves and left the house.

“Jack, what happened?” Goodwin demanded.

“How should I know?” Jack asked. “It's like I said. One moment we were talking and the next she was in my arms, unconscious.”

“And what of the accusation of you kissing her?” Goodwin said.

“If it happened I don't remember a damn thing about it,” Jack said. Goodwin narrowed his eyes before nodding.

“Follow me Jack, I have something I wish to show you,” Goodwin said.

* * *

 

Sakura let out a shout as she sat up in her bed. She groaned and held her stomach, falling back onto her bed. She could still remember her dream vividly. That dragon, it was staring at her. She could feel it's cold stare, like it was looking into soul, past it even. The dragon suddenly disappeared and she was left staring at a pair of wings. “What happened to me?” She groaned. She brought a hand up to her head, rubbing it.

“You okay?” Inner asked, appearing above her.

“Yeah, just give me a moment,” Sakura said.

“So that was pretty bold of you,” Inner said with a smirk.

“Huh?” Sakura hummed, looking up at Inner. The girl was smirking.

“Though, I don't blame you,” Inner said. “There was a certain pull about him.”

“What are you talking about?” Sakura asked.

“You don't remember?” Inner asked. “Well then, let me remind you.” Sakura groaned as her mind moved and shifted. Images flew by before settling on one specific picture. Sakura's eyes snapped open. She sat up slowly, looking lost and confused. She held up her hand and hesitantly ran her fingers across her bottom lip.

“I kissed...Jack,” Sakura whispered.

“That's right,” Inner said with a smirk. “But why are you so surprised? It's not the first time, right?”

“Shut up,” Sakura hissed. She swung her fist and Inner disappeared with a smirk. She climbed off her bed and walked out of her room.

“You're finally awake,” Hitomi said happily.

“Yeah,” Sakura nodded.

“How are you feeling sweetie?” she asked, placing a hand on her forehead. “No fever, and your color looks fine.”

“I'm feeling fine,” Sakura said.

“Are you sure, you look a little shaken up,” Hitomi said.

“I'm fine, just a little hungry,” Sakura said.

“Well then I'll make you your favorite meal,” Hitomi said. Sakura was about to speak up but let it go with a sigh. She walked over to the windows and noticed that the moon was high in the sky.

“How long was I out?” Sakura asked.

“Quite a while,” Hitomi answered. “Your father's in his study if you need him.”

“I don't need anything from him,” Sakura said harshly. She walked over to the couch and sat down, turning on the TV.

“ _It's gonna be a duel for the ages folks! Tomorrow Jack Atlas will have a rematch with Hunter Pace!”_ Sakura narrowed her eyes and changed the channel. Each channel though seemed to be focused on one thing: Jack's next duel. Though some of them were actually playing clips from Jack's last duel with Hunter.

“Who cares!” She shouted, throwing the remote. “Who actually cares about that ass!”

“What are you talking about?” Hitomi asked.

“Jack! Who actually cares about that pompous asshole!” Sakura said angrily.

“Keep going,” Inner urged. “I love it when you get feisty.”

“What the hell happened to calming me down?” Sakura growled, glaring at her.

“Who are you talking to?” Hitomi asked.

“Just get angrier,” Inner urged, licking her lips.

“Angry? Calm? Just make up your damn mind already!” Sakura shouted. The building started shaking. Hitomi screamed and held onto the counter.

“Delicious anger,” Inner said with a sigh. She reclined and smirked. “You can calm down now.”

“Stop telling me what to do!” Sakura shouted at the figment.

“What's going on?” Takeno shouted, entering the room.

“Can't you just leave me alone for once?” Sakura yelled at Inner. “You've made my life hell! I can't take it anymore!”

“Get over yourself!” Inner growled. “It's not like I'm here because I want to be. We're stuck together. Whether you like it or not!” Sakura tightened her fists and took a deep breath. The shaking gradually stopped.

“What the hell was that?” Takeno shouted at Sakura. “And who the hell were you talking to?”

“None of your damn business!” Sakura growled. She ran to the door and grabbed a coat. “I'm going for a walk!” She slammed the door behind her.

“She can't go off on her own,” Hitomi said. “Takeno, do something! I can't lose her again!”

“Don't worry,” Takeno assured his wife. “She won't leave us again. And if she does, she's marked, Security can track her.”

“I'm just worried,” Hitomi said. “We don't know what happened to her in that awful dump. She could have become a criminal for all we know.”

“Hitomi, she only got that mark because she was trying to come back to us,” Takeno assured her.

“We're not gonna lose her again.”

* * *

 

Sakura returned home early the next morning. No one was up except for the maid. She had ate breakfast and went into her room. Soon after she had crashed, falling asleep. She woke a few hour later. And it was a beyond unpleasant wake up.

“Hey, get up!” Inner said.

“Shut up, I'm still mad at you,” Sakura said.

“Well get un-mad, Naruto and Sasuke are here,” Inner said.

“So?” Sakura asked.

“Their watching Jack's duel,” Inner said. Sakura's head shot up and she cursed, stumbling out of bed.

“Shit! How much have I missed?” Sakura asked. She took off her pajamas and threw on white sweater and plaid skirt.

“The duel's almost over,” Inner said. “Jack's gonna lose.”

“What? That's impossible,” Sakura said. She slid on a pair of stockings.

“He's got 1000 life points, and his opponent has only had 1 turn,” Inner said.

“Well Jack is gonna win,” Sakura said. “He has to.” She ran out of her room and into the living room. Naruto and Sasuke were on the couch, watching Jack's duel. “H-How is he?” Sakura asked, catching her breath. She sat down on the arm chair and looked at the screen anxiously.

“Not good,” Sasuke said.

“He's not gonna make it,” Naruto said.

“No, he's going to,” Sakura said. “He has to.”

“Are you worried about your boyfriend?” Naruto asked.

“He's not my boyfriend,” Sakura said.

“Sure seemed that way when you were kissing him,” Sasuke said.

“I didn't kiss Jack,” Sakura denied.

“Yes you did, you know the truth,” Inner said. “Why deny it?”

“Why do you get like this when that's brought up?” Sakura hissed. Sasuke and Naruto looked at her in confusion. Sakura laughed nervously and turned back to watch TV. The commercials finished and the duel was back.

“ _Jack has but one chance to win? Can he do it? Or will his unbeaten streak end?”_ Jack turned around and drove towards Hunter.

“ _Enough with the warmup!”_ Jack said. _“I'm gonna kick this duel into overdrive. To start I'm gonna summon Big Piece Golem!”_

“He's going for Red Dragon Archfiend already,” Inner said.

“Of course, that's his only choice,” Sakura muttered.

“ _It appears, Jack is going for a face down!”_

“ _You want a face down Jack? How about a game of chicken? I can scare you off your runner!”_ Hunter said.

“ _Ha ha, that's_ so _funny, Hunter,”_ Jack said. _“But he who laughs last, laughs best! I'm gonna be laughing all the way to victory. With my Revival Gift trap card I can summon one tuner monster from my graveyard. I'm bringing back Dark Resonator!”_ Two tadpoles jumped out next to Hunter.

“ _Wait! What's happening now?”_ The announcer said. _“Folks this is a special ability of the trap Revival Gift. Hunter gets two Monster Tokens, and who knows what those two have planned? What will Jack do next? Will he kick it into overdrive? Will he keep his title?”_

“Check,” Sakura said. Sasuke and Naruto looked at her in confusion.

“ _Why don't we find out?”_ Jack said. _“Resonator! It's time that Golem got an upgrade! And with that I summon Red Dragon Archfiend!”_

“ _Talk about firing things up! Jack has just summoned his most powerful monster! How's that for saving the best for last?”_

“ _This isn't good,”_ Hunter hissed.

“ _Red Dragon, do your thing!”_ Jack ordered. Red Dragon Archfiend roared and swiped at Crystal Skull. The fire destroyed the skull and the backlash also hit the two tokens. The two runners passed each other, blowing away the fire in the process. Jack skidded to a stop and turned around, chasing after Hunter. _“Now I play my trap card, Lineage of Destruction!”_

“And mate,” Sakura said with a smirk.

“ _It appears that Jack has handled this match with the skill and grace of the true champion that he is! And now it looks like Red Dragon Archfiend is ready to finish things off.”_

“ _Hunter, hasn't anyone ever told you how dangerous it is to play with fire?”_ Jack asked sarcastically. _“Because now your career is going to go up in flames again!”_

“ _Is it too late to say sorry? Please”_ Hunter begged.

“ _Beg all you want, but that isn't gonna save you!”_ Jack said. _“Red Dragon Archfiend, attack! And don't hold back, show no mercy!”_ Red Dragon roared and destroyed Hunter's last monster. Hunter groaned as his points lowered. _“Look at it this way Hunter, you may have lost everything, but at least this makes great television!”_ Hunter screamed as his life point were reduced to 600.

“ _Don't sweat it Hunter, you're just a warmup,”_ Jack said. _“Once this duel is over I've got a rematch with an old friend of mine! Thanks for the practice. It's time for your third loss! End this now, Archfiend!”_ Hunter screamed as his runner spun out.

“ _Jack Atlas has won!”_ The announcer cheered.

“ _Who's the master of faster? Who rules the duels? Me! Jack Atlas!”_ The TV turned off and Sasuke leaned back.

“So what did you think?” he asked the pinkette.

“About what? Jack's dueling?” Sakura asked. “It was fine. Cocky, arrogant, and completely sure of each move he made. He was great.”

“Jack is totally cool,” Naruto said.

“Yūsei's better,” Sakura said. She stood up and clapped her hands. She walked over to the coat rack and grabbed a coat. She looked at the princess coat and put it on. Naruto and Sasuke turned around on the couch, watching her.

“Where are you going?” Sasuke asked.

“I'm going to go congratulate Jack,” Sakura said simply.

“How do you expect to do that?” Naruto asked.

“Going to his house, of course,” Sakura said.

“I'll drive,” Sasuke said with a sigh.

“What? You're encouraging this?” Naruto asked in shock.

“No, I just already have something I need to pick up, and Jack's house isn't that far away,” Sasuke said.

“Thank you, Sasuke,” Sakura said with a smile.

“I have no part in this,” Sasuke said firmly. “You asked for a ride, and I gave it to you. You never told me where you were going or anything. I know nothing, got it?”

“Done,” Sakura said, exiting the house.

“Teme!” Naruto groaned, glaring at him.

“Get your jacket,” Sasuke said, waving him over.

“Why?” Naruto asked.

“We're having lunch at a new ramen place,” Sasuke said. Naruto smiled brightly and jumped over the couch, running over to him.

“I love you you bastard,” Naruto said, hugging him tightly.

“Yeah, yeah, just go,” Sasuke said with huff, gesturing to the door. Naruto grabbed his jacket and raced after Sakura. Sasuke sighed and looked up to the ceiling. “My god I've gone soft.”

* * *

 

Sakura held a vase of flowers as she entered Jack's building. She walked up to the receptionist. “I'm here to see Jack Atlas.”

“You and a hundred other girls,” the receptionist said, boredom evident.

“Yes well, I'm a friend of his,” Sakura said.

“Nice try,” the receptionist said.

“Call him up,” Sakura urged her. The woman rolled her eyes and picked up the phone.

“Hello Mr. Atlas,” she greeted. “I have a young woman down hair saying she's your friend. Pink hair, green eyes. Hold on one moment.” The receptionist covered her phone and turned to Sakura.

“Sakura Haruno,” the pinkette said. The receptionist nodded and turned back to the phone.

“Sakura Haruno, sir. Yes sir.” The receptionist hung up the phone and huffed. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a few numbers on it. “Use this code to gain access to the elevator. That's useful for today only.”

“Thank you very much,” Sakura said, taking the slip of paper. Within a few minutes she was in Jack's house.

“Oh, hello, what are you doing here?” Mina asked, spying the pinkette.

“I came to see Jack,” Sakura said simply.

“Mr. Atlas is very busy right now, he can't have guests,” Mina said.

“He told the receptionist to send me up,” Sakura said.

“What do you want with him?” Mina asked.

“What are you talking about?” Sakura asked. “I'm just visiting an old friend. Is that a crime?”

“Well no,” Mina said.

“Great! I'll see you later Miss Mina,” Sakura said passing her. Sakura walked into the living room and saw Jack pouring a cup of coffee.

“Want some?” He asked, holding up the mug. Sakura nodded and set the flowers down on the coffee table. She took off her coat and tossed it on the couch. She walked over to the kitchen area and accepted the drink. The two sat in silence, drinking the coffee.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jack asked finally.

“What? I can't visit my brother?” Sakura asked. “And I even brought flowers to congratulate you on your win too.”

“Thanks,” Jack muttered.

“Though, I'm not sure if you won because you're good, or because your opponent was horrible,” Sakura said.

“Hunter's no Yūsei, that's for sure,” Jack muttered.

“You weren't satisfied with the end of the duel, were you?” Sakura asked.

“If the Crimson Dragon hadn't appeared, Yūsei would've have beaten me with that damn trap card of his,” Jack growled. Sakura slowly lowered her cup. Inner appeared beside her and smirked.

“Repeat that, please,” Inner requested.

“Was that what that dragon was called?” Sakura asked.

“Yes,” Jack said. “A great, powerful, mystic dragon.”

“Well aren't you chipper,” Sakura muttered sarcastically. “So tell me more about this dragon.”

“Why do you want to know?” Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Can't I be curious?” Sakura asked.

“Not when you don't have an ulterior motive,” Jack said. “Remember, you were latched onto me for a long time, I know you.”

“So what if was I latched,” Sakura said, looking down at her cup. “That was a long time ago. I've changed, Jack.”

“Get back on topic,” Inner hissed, glaring at her.

“Where's Yūsei?” Sakura said.

“Wrong topic!” Inner shouted.

“I already told you, he's at the Facility,” Jack told her. “And too bad for you, they don't allow visitors.”

The air became tense and there was an awkward silence. Sakura looked around and her eyes landed on her vase, or more importantly, what was next to it. She stood up and walked over to the coffee table. She messed with the flowers, arranging them. She glanced down at the deck next to it. As she reached for it a hand came and snatched it.

“Nice try,” Jack said. “But as I said earlier, I know you.” As if to taunt her even more he kissed her cheek. Sakura growled and stood up, glaring at him. “I know all your tricks. You'll have to try a lot harder if you want Yūsei's card.”

“I didn't want Stardust,” Sakura said. “Besides, what could I do with it, I'm not a duelist.”

“You have a deck,” Jack pointed out.

“I don't even carry it with me,” Sakura said.

“But you're still a duelist,” Jack said.

“No I'm not, you know what happens when I duel!” Sakura said.

“Break your self imposed rules and live a little,” Jack said with a huff. He placed the cards on the kitchen counter and huffed. “Why must you be so difficult.”

“I lived with four obnoxious and stubborn boys for 11 years,” Sakura said with a fond smile.

“Don't think you can make me change by giving a friendship speech,” Jack said.

“I'm not going to,” Sakura said with a sigh. “Why waste my breath?”

“Then why are you here?” Jack asked angrily.

“I don't even know,” Sakura said with a sigh. “What happened to you Jack?”

“I opened my eyes and realized I could do so much better than that dump,” Jack said.

“Why didn't you tell us that? We would have helped you!” Sakura said.

“If you're just here to lecture me then you can leave.” Jack turned and stormed up the steps.

“That's not why I'm here,” Sakura said, running after him. “Don't just run to your room like some child, Jack!”

“Why, because that's your job?” Jack asked harshly. “You're so scared of everything. You cower whenever you see your own shadow. You jump when something moves. And not to mention, that Inner practically controls you!”

“She does not!” Sakura shouted, stomping her foot in indignation.

“I'm not even going to comment,” Inner muttered, inspecting her nails.

“Just shut the hell up, for once!” Sakura growled at her. “You think you're helping me but you're just annoying the hell out of me. Plus you keep on trying to egg me on and make me mad! What the hell do you even get out of that?”

“Entertainment,” Inner said with a smirk. Sakura huffed and stormed up the stairs, stopping in front of Jack.

“What is it?” She asked.

“Be a bit more specific,” Jack said.

“That mark,” Sakura said, pointing to his arm.

“It's a birthmark,” Jack told her. “You know that, you've seen it up close and personal a few times before, remember?”

“It's much more than that Jack, now explain,” Sakura ordered.

“I'm not doing anything you say,” Jack muttered. “I think it's time you left.”

“His mark!” Inner shouted at her. Sakura looked at his arm before grabbing it.

“Let go of me,” Jack said. “I have no problem calling security you know.”

“Why did you kiss me?” Sakura asked.

“What are you talking about? I haven't done that in years,” Jack said.

“Bullshit, we kissed yesterday!” Sakura said with a scoff.

“Been fantasizing about me, have you?” Jack said with a smirk. “And here I thought your mind revolved around Yūsei.”

“That's not the point Jack,” Sakura said. “Do you really not remember anything?”

“Let me give him a nudge!” Inner said. She laughed and her eyes glowed. Jack groaned and his hands flew to his head.

“Jack, are you okay?” Sakura asked, placing a hand on his arm.

“I-I remember now,” Jack grunted. “What happened yesterday?”

“Forget about that, are you alright?” Sakura asked.

“I'm fine,” Jack said. He looked down at his arm. He moved the sleeve, looking at his wings. “Tell me, what do you know about the Crimson Dragon?” Jack asked.

“I'll know a lot more tomorrow,” Sakura told him. She hesitantly placed her hand on the mark. It began to move faintly, pulsing under her fingertips. Sakura's eyes widened as she felt a warm feeling run through her body. She looked up at Jack in shock. The blond seemed to be in a trance. As soon as their eyes connected, so was Sakura. Their eyes glowed red and Inner groaned.

“God no! Stop!” Inner shouted, trying to come between them. “This isn't what I wanted!” Sakura ignored her as Jack placed his lips over hers. She placed her free hand on his neck, pulling him closer.

“God damnit! Hello! Think of Yūsei! What will he say?” Inner groaned as she got no response. Jack pressed his lips against hers harder, and Sakura had no qualms about pushing back. Jack pushed her against the wall. His free hand went to her thighs. He rubbed his thumb over the skin before slowly moving it upward.

“Seriously! Stop!” Inner shouted. Sakura whimpered as Jack reached behind her, moving her skirt up. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, allowing Jack's tongue inside.

“I so gotta get more control over this,” Inner said with a huff.


	10. Chapter 10

Sakura groaned as she woke up. She sat up, rubbing her head. “You're finally awake.” Sakura blinked and looked across the room to see Jack sitting in an arm chair. He looked like he had only gotten a couple hours of sleep. He was wearing a blank tank top that showed off his signer mark. Sakura blushed, clutching the sheets of the bed close to her.

It happened again. Oh god it happened again! She got put in a trance and kissed Jack Atlas! No...wait. Her entire face went red as she remembered that it was more than just a simple kiss. She quickly looked down, relieved to find that she was still clothed. Well, at least nothing too extreme happened. Sakura didn't know what she would do if she had slept with Jack while under a trance.

“I see you remember,” Jack said. Sakura nodded slowly. She slowly stood up and adjusted her skirt.

“I should probably get going,” Sakura said.

“Why? Between me and your parents, where would you rather be?” Jack asked.

“My parents, at least things aren't awkward over there,” Sakura said.

“Why are things awkward, it's not like-”

“I know, but that was then, this is now,” Sakura said, cutting him off. “I can't latch onto someone else. The last time I did...” She trailed off, glaring at him as she left her words hanging.

“Fine, be that way,” Jack said. “But I want explanations. What happened?”

“If I knew I would tell you,” Sakura said sadly. “I'll see you some other time Jack.” She walked out of the room.

* * *

 

When Sakura entered her house she was greeted by a worried and fretting mother.

“Where have you been?” Hitomi asked.

“I was taking care of some things,” Sakura said, putting her coat on the hangar.

“Well tell us next time!” Hitomi scolded. “You can't just come and go whenever you feel like it! That's not how it works! This is not that dump!”

“Don't call the Satellite a dump!” Sakura said harshly.

“Well what would you like me to call it? That's exactly what it is,” Hitomi said.

“And you guys wonder why I would ever possibly run away from such a warm and lovely home,” Sakura said sarcastically. She entered the kitchen and looked in the fridge for food.

“Look, this isn't easy on any of us,” Hitomi said. Sakura rolled her eyes and grabbed some of the leftovers, checking it. “But you have to tell us things. You can't just come and go when you want. You can't treat us like we're strangers! We're your parents for god's sake!”

“But we are strangers,” Sakura said. “We haven't seen each other in 11 years. I know nothing about you, and you know nothing about me. Stop acting like you do.”

“Well then tell us,” Hitomi begged. “Tell us about you! I don't want to be strangers with my own daughter!”

“You wanna know everything about me? Fine,” Sakura said with a huffed. “I've had over ten run-ins with Sector Security. I got sent to the reeducation center twice. My best friend is one of the most amazing guys I know, but I have no clue how to find him! My other best friend disappeared one day and I haven't seen him since, my third friend went crazy and nearly became a murderer, and another one betrayed us for his own gain.

“I've been living in a dog-eat-dog world for 11 years. I have been doing whatever I can to survive, even if it means stealing, or hell, hurting someone. I have been living in a dump and treated like a rat-”

“Well who's fault is that?” Hitomi asked. “You're the one that ran away and went there.”

“But!” Sakura said, cutting off her mother. “I have felt safe there. I made friends, I felt truly loved. I know what it's like to have a family that actually cares for you. A mother that will always be there to clean your wounds and cook for you after, all the while scolding you. Three amazing brothers that I wouldn't trade for anything else in the world, no matter what they do. I have been hurt, and I've hurt others. I've lived so much more than I _ever_ would have been able to do here.” The two stood in silence, staring at each other in determination.

“Ma'am,” a maid said, entering the kitchen.

“What is it?” Hitomi asked.

“Miss Yamanaka is here,” she announced.

“Perfect! Send her in,” Hitomi said. The maid nodded and left. “You have left that place, you are here now. Start acting like it.”

“I don't have to do shit,” Sakura muttered, leaving the kitchen. She was soon tackled to the floor by a screaming blonde. She lay there in shock before looking down at the young woman who tackled her.

“I-Ino?” Sakura said in shock.

“Sakura! You do remember me!” Ino said happily. “Oh, I'm so glad you're back!”

“Good afternoon, Ino,” Hitomi said.

“Afternoon Mrs. Haruno! Mind if I steal Sakura for a shopping trip?” Ino asked, sitting up.

“Go right ahead. She needs some new clothes anyway,” Hitomi said.

“Wait a minute, I don't wanna go on any shopping tri-!” She screamed lightly as she was dragged out of the house by an eager blonde.

* * *

 

Goodwin entered the living room. He looked around, trying to find Jack. He had come over because Mina said Jack was acting strangely, and now the duelist wasn't in sight. He finally found Jack sitting behind the couch. His knees were drawn up and he was holding his arm, looking at the mark.

“What are you doing, Jack?” Goodwin asked.

“I spent hours running around the track last night trying to summon that stupid dragon and I didn't get a damn thing,” Jack said.

“I'm sorry Jack, but these things take time,” Goodwin told him.

“I didn't even get a shimmer, nothing,” Jack said. “But here's the real kicker.” Jack got up angrily. “Sakura touches it and it reacts! Explain that to me Goodwin!”

“What did you say?” Goodwin asked, looking at him in shock.

“I just don't get it,” Jack huffed, running his hands through his hair. “She touches the thing and I'm in a trance. All I can think about is her. And how much I want her near me. Even though I don't. We're done, we've been done for years, and I'm fine with it. I haven't thought of her since. But then she just waltz right in and she can control me like that! How?”

“Jack, you need to calm down,” Goodwin told him sternly. Jack took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. Goodwin sat down on the sofa and gestured to the other side. Jack sighed and sat down, leaning back. “Now explain this to me, slowly. What happened?”

“It happened that first time she came over,” Jack said. “We were talking and she told me that she was in so much pain during my duel with Yūsei. Her whole body was aching. She said she blacked out during it. I grabbed her arm to see if there was a mark but there wasn't. Then she grabbed my arm and then...” Jack trailed off and sighed.

“Yes Jack, then what?” Goodwin asked.

“Next thing I knew she was passed out in my arms and those two guys were yelling at me to let her go,” Jack said. He placed a hand over his mark and squeezed it. “Yesterday I remembered what really happened.”

“What happened?” Goodwin asked, leaning forward slightly.

“She touched my arm and I was in some sort of trance. My mind was so foggy, I couldn't think. I could barely even see straight.” Jack huffed and rubbed his forehead. “Apparently we did kiss.”

“Is that it?” Goodwin asked. “Mina said she visited yesterday.”

“She did, she came to congratulate me on my race with Hunter,” Jack said. His eyes trailed off to the vase of flowers that sat innocently on the table. “We talked for a while. I...I asked her what she knew about the Crimson Dragon.” Goodwin's eyes narrowed at that.

“And what did she say?” Goodwin pressed.

“She didn't know anything,” Jack told him. “But then she touched my mark again and...I was gone. She was too. After we broke out of the trance she passed out, saying she was tired.”

“How did it break?” Goodwin asked.

“I can't remember,” Jack said with a groan. “I think she let go of my mark.”

“What happened during the second trance?” Goodwin asked.

Jack rubbed his face, his cheeks turning pink. “Like I said, we were gone. Nothing extreme happened, but we were both pretty out of it.”

“This is very interesting,” Goodwin hummed.

“What happened Goodwin?” Jack asked.

“I'm not sure yet, but I will look into it,” Goodwin said. He stood up. “Don't worry Jack, we'll figure this out. In the meantime, try to stay away from her.”

“I'll try,” Jack said.

“I'll tell reception that they can't let her up, alright?” Goodwin said. Jack merely nodded. Goodwin pat his shoulder and left, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts. He reached for his cards and grabbed the two on top. He looked at the two dragons and sighed.

* * *

 

Sakura plopped down on her bed with a sigh.

“That was exhausting,” Inner groaned, laying down on the bed.

“Oh shut up, you weren't the one actually being tortured,” Sakura said.

“How many clothes does she think you need?” Inner asked, looking at the bags that had yet to be put away.

“Too many,” Sakura said with a groan. She laid back and looked at her ceiling. “The Crimson Dragon, huh?”

“You still haven't looked anything up,” Inner said. Sakura hummed and looked at the clock on her nightstand. “The old man is probably done with his work.”

“You read my mind,” Sakura said. She rolled out of bed and quietly walked to her father's study. She flinched when she saw him sitting at the desk.

“What do you need?” Takeno asked.

“I-I thought you were done,” Sakura said. “I'll just come back later, sorry.”

“Hold it,” Takeno said, preventing her from leaving. He gestured to one of the seats in front of the desk and Sakura huffed. Inner quickly sat in one, leaving Sakura the other. “Where were you last night?”

“It's like I told mom, I was taking care of some things,” Sakura said, playing with her sleeve.

“I want a less vague answer,” Takeno said

“You don't have to tell him shit,” Inner said.

“It's none of your business,” Sakura said firmly.

“It is my business,” Takeno said. “You are my daughter, and considering what happened, I deserve to know where you are at all times.”

“No you don't,” Sakura said. “I ran away, and I still stand by it. It was the best decision I ever made.”

“You were seven years old,” Takeno said. “You didn't know what the hell you were thinking.”

“I was thinking that I was tired of being treated like an annoyance in my own home,” Sakura said. “If you had to take care of me, I was just in the way of your work. If mom had to take care of me, I was interrupting her socializing. I was pawned off on Sasuke and Naruto when I was with her. Even my nanny didn't like me that much. She just put up with me.

“I knew exactly what I was thinking,” Sakura said firmly. She hardened her gaze, looking at her father with determination.

“You were a child,” Takeno reaffirmed.

“Was I still a child when you locked me in my room and screamed at me for being abnormal?” Sakura asked. “If I was a child I should have had my parents support and understanding, and comfort! I knew as little as you did about what was going on. If I was a child you should have been helping me through whatever it was. But you didn't.” They sat in a tense silence.

“I'm done here,” Takeno said, standing up. “Don't make a mess.”

“What, like I did to my room?” Sakura asked. Takeno didn't spare her a glance as he left.

“Damn,” Inner whistled. “You handled that extraordinarily well.”

“What did you expect?” Sakura asked. She went over to her father's seat and turned on the computer.

“Screaming, yelling, things flying across the room,” Inner said with a smirk. “You were really calm.”

“I have to be,” Sakura said with a huff. “If I trigger my powers who knows what they'll do to me.” She pulled up the closed browser and stopped. “Or maybe I know exactly what they'd do.” Inner appeared behind her and leaned in to read the screen.

“The Arcadia Movement?” Inner read.

“An environment for training and controlling those with psychic powers,” Sakura read with a huff. “Of course he'd try to ship me off.”

“Get to that later,” Inner told her. “Focus.”

“Right,” Sakura nodded. She brought up the search engine and took a breath. “Crimson Dragon.”


	11. Chapter 11

Sakura, Ino, Sasuke, and Naruto were gathered in her bedroom. Sasuke and Naruto were in the corner dueling each other.

“And we're holed up in here because?” Ino asked.

“Sakura's mad at her father,” Sasuke said, placing down a card silently. Naruto glared at it and cursed under his breath, placing cards in his graveyard.

“What else is new?” Sakura said with a sigh.

“What's it for this time,” Naruto said, flipping over a card. Sasuke smirked and flipped one over himself. “I really fucking hate you, you bastard.”

“I win,” Sasuke said.

“Okay, that's Sasuke 8, Naruto 1,” Ino said, making a tally in her notebook.

“It's nothing to worry about,” Sakura told them. “You know, I've never seen two people duel so silently.” Sakura watched them gather their cards.

“They've been dueling for years,” Ino said, dismissing her. “They know each other's decks in and out. The only time you'll ever hear them talking is when they get a new deck. Then one of them is cursing the other out. After that they steal the deck and memorize it.”

“That seems like it would get boring,” Sakura said.

“It just proves how good friends they are,” Ino said.

“Sakura-chan, do you have a deck?” Naruto asked.

“Yeah,” Sakura nodded. She reached for her backpack and pulled it onto her lap. She got out a deck of cards.

“Wanna duel?” Sasuke asked.

“I was gonna ask her that!” Naruto shouted.

“Um, I don't actually duel,” Sakura said, catching their attention.

“But you have a deck,” Sasuke said, looking at the deck.

“Yeah, for emergencies,” Sakura said. “Sometimes you gotta duel to survive in the Satellite. I needed one to stay safe. That doesn't mean I'm actually a duelist.”

There was a knock on the door. “You have mail, miss.” A maid said.

“You've got mail?” Naruto asked in shock.

“Does anyone even know you're here?” Ino asked.

“Not anyone I would know,” Sakura said.

“Unless it's Jack,” Inner said. Sakura flinched and got up, opening the door. The maid handed her an envelope before bowing and leaving.

“Who's it from?” Naruto asked excitedly.

“It doesn't say.” Sakura sat down on her bed and carefully opened it. She pulled out a decorative ticket. “Someone sent me tickets.”

“Is there a note?” Sasuke asked. Sakura put the tickets down and looked inside. She nodded and took out a letter, reading it.

“What are the tickets for?” Ino asked, picking them up.

“No way!” Naruto gasped. “You've got VIP tickets to the Fortune Cup!”

“Impressive,” Sasuke said. “That tournament's been sold out for months. Itachi couldn't even get tickets fast enough.”

“What's the Fortune Cup?” Ino asked.

“How could you not know?” Naruto asked in disbelief.

“Um, hello! I'm not a duelist!” Ino shouted.

“That doesn't give you an excuse,” Naruto yelled back.

“The Fortune Cup is a tournament of 8 randomly selected duelists,” Sasuke explained. “They battle tournament style and the winner gets a chance to duel Jack Atlas.”

“So who sent them?” Ino asked. They looked at Sakura, who was staring at the letter in shock.

“Jack sent them,” Sakura said quietly.

“Jack Atlas sent you tickets to the Fortune Cup?” Naruto asked in shock.

“Is there an extra one? I wanna go!” Ino said excitedly.

“You don't know anything about dueling,” Sasuke pointed out.

“But Jack Atlas is hot! And who knows who else is competing! I could find someone I really like,” Ino said. Naruto and Sasuke both rolled their eyes.

“That's not his handwriting,” Inner said. Sakura nodded hesitantly. She reread the letter.

 

It's your only chance to see Yūsei. Hope you're not scared of heights.

-Jack Atlas

 

“What does he mean by that?” Inner asked.

“Can I see those tickets?” Sakura asked. Ino nodded and handed them back to her. Sakura looked them over. “These are tickets for Watchtower seating.”

“That means you'll be sitting with Jack and Goodwin,” Sasuke said.

“And let me guess, Watchtower, means it's really high up,” Sakura said.

“You got it,” Sasuke nodded. “You scared of heights?”

“No, just falling,” Sakura said with a sigh.

* * *

 

Yūsei looked back at the elevator and sighed. He lowered his visor and climbed onto his runner. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and stared at the address. “I've got to get back to Sakura.” He revved his runner and sped out of the Tops. He gasped as a runner slid in front of him. Trudge looked back at him and smirked.

“And here I was, thinking you didn't like me!” Trudge said, skidding to a stop. Yūsei growled and stopped as well. “I'm bringing you in, Yūsei.” Yūsei stayed quiet and glared at Trudge.

“Are you gonna come quietly or not?” Trudge asked. Yūsei hardened his eyes and revved his runner. “I was hopping that would be your answer.” Before either of them could speed off, brights lights turned on. They watched as a short man with purple hair exited the car.

“Officer Trudge, isn't this a surprise? Shouldn't you be busy guarding the Candle and Calender kiosk at the Outer Rim mall?”

“I didn't catch your name, short stack,” Trudge growled.

“Special Deputy Lazar.” He took out his badge, smirking. “I work for the Director General. And, sorry to burst your bubble, but I outrank you.” Lazar laughed at Trudge as he got angry

“Well I've never heard of you,” Trudge growled out.

“I'm here on official business,” Lazar said. “I would advise you to leave the area at once.”

“But this punk is a menace! He stole that runner from the Impound Center!” Trudge shouted.

“Officer!” Lazar said harshly, a large grin on his face. “This city doesn't have room for some lowly street cop who doesn't know their place or when to shut their mouths.”

“So what official business are you on?” Yūsei asked.

“Delivery, for one Yūsei Fudō,” Lazar said, walking up to it. He held out an envelope. Yūsei narrowed his eyes and took the envelope. He gasped as there were two pictures as well. One was of the four friends he had left in the Satellite. Rally. Blitz. Nervin. Tank. They looked like they were having fun, unaware that the photo was taken. The one below it was of Sakura. She was inside a house, standing next to Jack. Yūsei looked up at him and glared.

“We would like for you to participate in the Fortune cup. If you don't, those in the photographs will pay dearly for the rogue actions you took in stealing that runner,” Lazar said. “And don't even think about warning her, as you can see, we're watching her closely. Have a good evening Mr. Fudō.” Lazar laughed as he went back to his car.

* * *

 

“Wow,” Ino muttered, looking at her laptop. “People will believe anything.”

“What's up?” Sakura asked.

“The Black Rose,” Ino said.

“I thought you didn't like dueling,” Naruto said.

“I don't, but all the girls at school are talking about her,” Ino said.

“Who's the Black Rose?” Sasuke asked. “She a duelist?”

“A psychic duelist,” Ino said. Sakura looked up from her book.

“A...psychic?” She asked. She glanced at Inner, who was over by Sasuke and Naruto, watching them duel again. Inner looked over at her and smirked.

“Yeah, apparently there are some rumors that she's gonna appear at some street duel today,” Ino said, shaking her head. “Like I said, people will believe anything.”

“I thought she was just some legend,” Naruto said.

“She's a legend alright,” Sasuke said.

“What makes her special?” Sakura asked.

“When she duels her monsters become real, and when she takes someone's life points, they actually feel pain,” Sasuke said. “Anyone who duels her is at risk of losing their life.”

“That sounds familiar,” Inner said.

“Why the sudden interest?” Ino asked.

“N-No reason,” Sakura said.

“So are you going?” Naruto asked.

“To what? The street duels?” Sakura asked.

“Well, that too I guess,” Naruto said. “But I was talking about the Fortune Cup.” Sakura looked over to her dresser, where the ticket rested.

“I don't know,” Sakura said with a sigh.

“Well you better decide soon,” Ino said. “Because you can't go on this date wearing just any old thing.” The three looked at her in disbelief and shock.

“This is not a date,” Sakura said firmly.

“I'm sorry, did you or did you not kiss him?” Ino asked. “Or was Naruto just lying?”

“N-No, but-” Ino held up her hand, cutting Sakura off.

“Then that means it's a date, you need to wear something nice, especially if you're going to be with Jack Atlas,” Ino said.

“I don't think Jack would care about what you wore,” Inner said.

“There's no stopping her,” Sakura said with a sigh. “Any excuse to go shopping.”

* * *

 

Yūsei hummed and placed the handle of his small soldering iron in his mouth. He messed with a few wires on his runner.

“So, what'd that purple haired shrimp want from you last night?” Blister asked. “What'd he say to make you agree to dueling in the Fortune Cup?” Blister. Blister was a great help. Thanks to a tip from Bolt Tanner, a friend Yūsei made at the Facility, Yūsei was able to find Blister. Blister had hacked into the city system and found his duel runner within the Impound Center. Blister did as much as he could to help Yūsei get it back, even crashing in to save the day when he was being pursued by Trudge. He was even letting him crash at his place until the Fortune Cup.

Yūsei looked up at him and took the soldering iron out of his mouth and put it down. “It's not what he said, but it's what he showed me.” Yūsei picked up his jacket and fished out the envelope. He handed it to Blister. Blister opened it and looked at the first pictures.

“These your friends?” he asked.

“There's one more,” Yūsei said. Blister moved the photo, looking at the one of a pink haired girl.

“Who's the chick with Jack Atlas?” Blister asked.

“That's Sakura,” Yūsei said.

Noticing that he wasn't going to explain anything else Blister decided to move on. “So, let me guess, these photos don't mean anything good, do they?” Blister said.

“No, they don't,” Yūsei confirmed. “If I don't duel in the Fortune Cup they're gonna pay the price.”

“Sounds right,” Blister said. “If it's not a bribe it's a threat. That sounds like Goodwin. So are these guys in the Satellite?”

“All but Sakura,” Yūsei said.

“And where's she?” Blister asked.

“Somewhere in this city,” Yūsei told him. “We were separated before I went to the Facility. I haven't seen her since.”

“That's rough,” Blister said.

“I already have her address, I looked in the phone book,” Yūsei said with a huff. “But if I tell her about this, who knows what Goodwin will do.” He groaned and rubbed his face.

“Let me help you out a little,” Blister said. “I'll go check on your friends in the Satellite.”

“You can get to the Satellite?” Yūsei asked in shock.

“I can get anywhere,” Blister said with a smirk. He set the envelope down and walked towards the door.

“What about Sakura?” Yūsei said.

“I'll check on her while I'm making plans,” Blister said. “Don't worry, you'll see your friends again.” Yūsei looked away as Blister left.

“If Goodwin ever lets me see them again,” He huffed. He walked over to the pictures and picked up the one of Sakura and Jack.

* * *

 

Sakura looked up at the building before her and narrowed her eyes.

“So this is where the famous Jack Atlas lives,” Ino hummed. Sakura's eyebrow twitched and she looked back at the three people behind her.

“Did you guys really have to follow me?” She shouted at them.

“Takeno wants us to keep an eye on you,” Sasuke said simply.

“Yeah, he doesn't want you to run away again,” Naruto said with a smile.

“You can tell him not to worry, I'm not going anywhere,” Sakura said with a sigh. “Not yet anyway,” she muttered under her breath.

“And she's here because?” Inner trailed off, looking at Ino. Sakura looked at Ino pointedly.

“I wanna know what dress Jack likes best! I have to make you look good!” Ino said, holding up shopping bags. Sakura groaned, her shoulders slumping.

“Let's just get this over with,” Inner said. “We have to find out what he's planning.” Sakura nodded and entered the building. She walked up to the reception desk. The receptionist looked up at her entrance.

“Hey, I need to see Jack Atlas,” Sakura said.

“Name?” She asked.

“Sakura Haruno.” The receptionist nodded and typed on her keyboard.

“I'm sorry but you can't go up there,” she said.

“Look, do we really need to do this again?” Sakura asked in irritation. “Just call Jack.”

“This order comes from Mr. Atlas,” the receptionist asked. Sakura paused and her and her friends exchanged a confused look.

“Can you, run that by me again?” Sakura asked.

“Mr. Atlas has told us not to let you up to his house under any circumstances,” the receptionist said.

“Okay, what the hell is he planning?” Inner growled.

“Did Mr. Atlas tell you this himself?” Ino asked.

“No, Mr. Goodwin did,” she answered.

“So call Mr. Atlas, just to double check,” Ino said. “It's possible that these orders came from Mr. Goodwin instead.”

“It doesn't matter who the orders came from,” the receptionist said firmly.

“But what if Jack really wants to see her?” Ino asked.

“Do I need to call security?” the receptionist huffed.

“Ino, that's enough,” Sakura said. Ino crossed her arms and pouted. “Can you at least tell him I stopped by?”

“I'll be sure to do that,” she said.

“Thanks,” Sakura said. She grabbed Ino's arm and dragged her out of the building.

“I can't believe it!” Ino shouted angrily, pacing in front of the building.

“What the hell did you do to that guy?” Sasuke asked.

“Nothing!” Sakura exclaimed. “I did nothing!”

“Unless it has anything to do with you touching his mark,” Inner said. Sakura gasped, remembering those incidents.

“That must be it,” Sakura said.

“What's it?” Naruto asked.

“Nothing, I was just talking to myself,” Sakura said. “I guess I have no choice, I'll just have to wait until the Fortune Cup.”

“This tournament is gonna be fun,” Inner said with a grin full of mischief.


	12. Chapter 12

The tournament came faster than Sakura expected. The amount of people lined up outside waiting to be let in was overwhelming. Her ticket didn't mention anything about allowing guests, so she couldn't invite her friends with her to help keep her company. She had been pushed and shoved every direction. Just as the crowds were getting to her she finally got to the ticket booth. She presented her pass and that's when things really went downhill.

A security guard came and escorted her through the halls. They walked through hallways that all looked the same. The same white walls, and the same tiled floors. There was a door here and there but there were no distinguishing markers. If you asked her, Sakura couldn't tell you how to get anywhere. How could anyone find their way in this place?

“Take this elevator all the way to the top, Mr. Atlas is waiting for you there,” the security guard said. Sakura nodded and stepped into the elevator. Inner appeared as the doors closed.

“I hope you're careful,” Inner said.

“I will be,” Sakura said. “Besides, I don't have much of a choice. I have to see Yūsei again.”

“How are we supposed to find him?” Inner asked.

“I don't know,” Sakura said. “But this is my only chance. I have to take it.” The elevator opened and Sakura took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.” She walked down the hallway, looking around.

“You must be Sakura,” Lazar said, stopping the pinkette.

“Uh, yes,” Sakura said.

“I'm Lazar, I work for the Director,” Lazar said. “If you would please follow me, I can show you where we will be viewing the tournament.” Sakura nodded and followed Lazar. “Right in here.” Lazar opened the door and Sakura took a deep breath and walked through the door. She saw the back of Jack's head and slowed down.

“Our special guest is here,” Lazar announced. Jack turned around, his eyes widening slightly.

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Haruno,” Goodwin said.

“You too,” Sakura said nervously.

“Please, take a seat, the tournament should begin soon,” Goodwin said.

“Okay,” Sakura said. She turned around to look at Jack nervously. Jack looked away, glaring at nothing. Sakura sat down next to him.

“What are you doing here?” Jack asked.

“I was invited,” Sakura said. She opened her clutch and took out the note. Jack took it and read it, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“I didn't send it,” Jack said.

“I know you didn't,” Sakura replied. “I know your handwriting. Despite your look, you've got messy handwriting.”

“So, what are you doing here?” Jack asked. “If you're here for Yūsei, why aren't you with him right now?”

“As soon as I showed my ticket security showed up to take me here,” Sakura said.

“Well why don't you go find him,” Jack said. Sakura looked at her lap and sighed. She stood up and walked back towards the door. “By the way, nice dress.” She wore a white thigh length cheongsam. There was a rose print on her left shoulder and the left corner. It had gold decorations.

“Thank you,” She said, smiling lightly.

* * *

 

Sakura sighed as she looked around another corner.

“Well, we were right,” Inner said with a huff. “We're completely lost.”

“I hope it hasn't started already,” Sakura said with a sigh.

“I don't hear any cheering,” Inner said.

“This way, Mr. Amnesia Man!” A childish voice said.

“Alright, I'm coming,” someone else responded. Sakura came to an abrupt stop. That voice! She would know that voice anywhere.

“Yūsei,” Sakura whispered in shock. She ran around the corner, stopping short when she nearly ran into the guy she had been searching for.

“Sakura,” Yūsei said in shock. Sakura smiled up at him.

“I finally found you,” She said. Yūsei smiled and reached out, grabbing her hands.

“Sorry I didn't come find you,” Yūsei said. Sakura shook her head and leaned into his chest.

“It's fine. I knew we'd meet again.” Sakura smiled and let Yūsei wrap his arms around her in a hug.

“Hey, who is this?” A young girl asked. Or, at least, the heavy makeup made it seem like a girl.

“This is my friend, Sakura,” Yūsei introduced. “Sakura, this is Luna.”

“Luna, that's a strange name for a boy,” Sakura said.

“Aw! What gave me away?” 'Luna' asked in disappointment.

“The makeup, you have too much,” Sakura said. “Plus, you have an Adam’s Apple.” She winked and poked the bump on his neck. 'Luna' blushed and rubbed his neck.

“Maybe I should have worn a scarf,” 'Luna' said with a frown.

“You're fine Leo, no one will be able to tell,” Yūsei said.

“But she could tell just by looking at me!” Leo said, pointing to Sakura.

“I'm a novice medic,” Sakura said. “No one will find out. They won't be looking at your neck.”

“If you say so,” Leo said. “So, who are you anyway? Are you his girlfriend?”

“Every time,” Sakura said with a sigh. “We're not a couple, Y-!” Sakura was cut off as Yūsei placed a hand over his mouth.

“Hey!” Leo shouted. “No fair! She was about to say your name!”

“Exactly,” Yūsei said. “You'll just have to wait a little bit longer.” He removed his hand and smiled down at Leo.

“Fine,” Leo said with a huff, crossing his arms. “So do you have anything that can get rid of makeup?” Sakura smiled and knelt down in front of him. She opened her clutch and took out a small wipe. She gently rubbed the pad against his face, getting rid of the heavy blush and much too red red lipstick.

“There you go.” Sakura stood up and put the wipe in her clutch.

“Thanks,” Leo said.

“What are you doing here?” Yūsei asked Sakura. Sakura frowned.

“I got an invitation from Jack,” Sakura said.

“Jack Atlas invited you?” Leo said in awe. “Does that mean you're dueling too?”

“No, it wasn't that kind of invitation,” Sakura said. “I'm his 'date'.” She put quotes around the word and was annoyed to even have to say it. Sakura looked at Yūsei and noticed how he was frowning. “I got a VIP ticket and a note that said it was my only chance to see you. So I accepted. But I don't think that's the complete truth.”

“Neither do I,” Yūsei said. “Be careful.”

“I will,” Sakura said.

“There you are!” A security officer said, approaching them. “What are you doing here? The tournament is about to start.” A second officer appeared. “You take the duelists, I'll take Miss Haruno back to the Watchtower.”

“I'll see you soon,” Yūsei said, squeezing Sakura's hand.

“Yeah, good luck,” Sakura said.

* * *

 

Sakura stood in front of the glass, looking down at the entire stadium.

“Gotta love the view,” Inner said, appearing next to her.

“What's with the outfit?” Sakura asked. Inner had changed clothes, wearing the same dress as Sakura.

“What? I can't change every once in a while?” Inner asked. Sakura chuckled and rolled her eyes.

“Duelists, young or old, amateur or professional, put your hands together for the Master of Ceremonies, Director Rex Goodwin!” Cheerleaders began cheering for Rex but they were cut off when a whirlwind appeared. Red Dragon Archfiend roared and flew around the arena.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Red Dragon Archfiend has taken to the skies, and that means only one thing!”

“Jack makes his grand entrance,” Sakura muttered.

“You gotta give him credit, he knows how to make an entrance,” Inner said.

“Let's here it for the reigning champion! The ruler of cards, the master of faster, the one, the only, Jack Atlas!” The crowd burst into a cheer as Jack drove onto the track. Red Dragon Archfiend landed on the podium, kneeling. Jack drove on the curved wall and shot off it. His runner spun through the air before he flipped it over and landed, skidding to a stop right in front of his mighty dragon.

“Show-off,” Inner huffed.

“He knows how to make an entrance,” Sakura said with a mocking smile. Jack took off his helmet and climbed off his runner.

“New Domino City, let's kick this tournament into over drive!” Jack shouted. The crowd erupted into applause.

“Alright, now it's time to see the lucky duelists who were selected to compete to get a chance to go head-to-head with Mr. Atlas. The Fortune Eight!” The floor opened up and two platforms rose, showing the eight competitors.

“Let's see, a creep in a hood, a big hulk, a professor, a monk, a bombshell, and a knight,” Inner said, surveying the duelists.

“Don't forget Yūsei and 'Luna',” Sakura said.

“Now, let's hear it for, the always mysterious Shira! The great Greiger! Commander Koda! The Professor! Miss Akiza Izinski! Sir Randsborg! The lovely miss Luna! And, last but not least, Yūsei Fudō!” Sakura frowned as she heard the crowd slowly start to get worked up. It wasn't long before they were demanding to know 'who's that loser'. Sakura tightened her fist and growled.

“I have something to say,” Greiger said, taking the mic from the announcer. “My name is Greiger. I know that things are different in this city, but where I'm from, you judge a guy based on his spirit. Your people may have branded this kid as a criminal but when I look at him, I only see a duelist. I'm a duelist myself, and that means that I've gotta respect him, until he gives me a reason not to.

“Duelists don't judge each other based on where they're from, who their family is, or the amount of money in their pocket. That's not what matters. What matters is the cards in their deck, and how they use them.” With that Greiger turned around and gave the mic back to the announcer. Sakura narrowed her eyes as Goodwin began to clap. The spectators followed his lead, cheering for Greiger and his little speech.

“Hulk just scored some points,” Inner said.

“Thank you, Greiger, for those well chosen words,” Goodwin said. “In our world, social standings and wealth draw a line between us all, separating us. But I had a vision of a duel tournament that would, even for a short moment, erase that line. A tournament different from the daily competition that we all face in our lives. A duel where the haves and the have nots could meet on a level playing field. So that they could prove themselves, not just to each other, but to the world. Fellow duelists, welcome to The Fortune Cup!” The crowd cheered and clapped for Goodwin.

“He's sure got a way with words,” Inner huffed.

“He's putting on a good show, that's all,” Sakura muttered, glaring down at Goodwin.

“Now! Let's turn to the bracket shuffler and find out who's dueling who in the first match!” Sakura watched in anticipation as the photos shuffled through the competitors, settling on someone eventually. Sakura's eyes widened when she saw that Leo was in the first match. And he would be dueling Greiger too. She went back to the couch and sat down. It wasn't long before Jack and Mina joined her. Mina stopped short when she saw Sakura.

“That was quite an entrance,” Sakura said. “And Greiger's speech was moving.” Jack huffed and sat next to her. “What, you're giving me the silent treatment? Come on Jack it's not like I showed up and forced my way up here. I _was_ invited.”

“You could have refused,” Jack said.

“Trust me, it crossed my mind,” Sakura said. “But there were too many factors that made me say yes.”

“Um...can I get you anything?” Mina asked.

“Something to drink,” Jack said.

“I'll see what I can do.” Mina bowed and left the room. Jack turned to Sakura.

“Look, we both know that you're here for one thing, and one thing only,” Jack said. “Cheer for Yūsei all you want. But don't touch me.”

“After what happened last time, I don't want to,” Sakura said.

“That makes two of us,” Jack said. They both faced forward.

“God, you can cut the tension with a knife,” Inner said. She was floating on her back, looking bored.

“Must you make a comment about every little thing?” Sakura said with a sigh.

“I can't help it, I get bored,” Inner said. She rolled over and looked at Sakura. “Entertain me.”

“You're such a child,” Sakura said with a huff. “Just wait for the duel to start.”

“But it's taking forever,” Inner groaned. Sakura growled lightly and grit her teeth, glaring at Inner. The figment laughed and disappeared, reappearing at the glass wall.

“Guess some things don't change,” Jack said, a short chuckle passing his lips.

“Yeah, Inner's as annoying as ever,” Sakura agreed.

“And you get mad at the drop of a hat,” Jack said, a smirk appeared on his face.

“I do not!” Sakura shouted in indignation. Her cheeks were burning, and her ears were red. Jack chuckled and rested his arms against the back of the couch.

“There's the famous temper,” Jack said with a smirk. He pulled on her ear, making it redder. “I must admit, I did miss riling you up.” Sakura glared at him and pouted. She crossed her arms and turned away from him. Jack chuckled at her childish antics. Making Sakura mad and turning her pale face red, had truly been one of Jack's favorite things to do. It often left him at odds with Yūsei, who preferred to keep her happy and calm.

“I apologize, but I could only find some wine,” Mina said, entering the room. She was holding a tray with a wine bottle and two glasses.

“That's fine, bring it here,” Jack said. Mina placed the tray on the table next to him and poured a drink. She handed it to Jack and bowed. “Want some?” Sakura looked at the alcohol in indifference and then looked at him. Jack smirked and sipped his wine.

“Yes please,” she muttered, her cheeks turning pink. She pouted and leaned against Jack, accepting the wine when it was given to her.

“Drunk,” Jack muttered.

“Shut up,” Sakura said, sipping her drink. “I'm thirsty.” Despite the tense atmosphere before, they were both smiling now. They had relaxed, and all the anger and hatred had disappeared. Inner smiled as she watched them slowly relax. Their previous words and swears of not touching the other had been forgotten, at least in the innocent sense.

“I'm turning into a sap,” Inner said to herself.

* * *

 

“And now! Coming straight from the Tops, the precious little wonder, Luna!” Leo rose onto the stage and looked around in excitement.

“And, hoping to take her down, The tower of power, the wall of wallop, Greiger!” Greiger rose onto the stage as well.

“Come on children, let's play nice now and shake those hands.” They both walked forward and shook hands.

“It's a real honor to be dueling you,” Leo said. “And it was really cool how you defended my friend back there.”

“Thanks,” Greiger said. “You've got quite a strong grip.” Leo gulped and jumped back.

“Is that so? You know people at school call me a tomboy!” Leo said. “Did I mention that I'm a cheerleader?” He giggled nervously and struck a pose.

“And now, let's start the duel, players, activate your duel disks!” They both rose their arms and their duel disks activated.

Their mics turned on with one shout. “Let's duel!”

“I'll take the first move!” Greiger declared, drawing a card. “From my hand I'm activating the card, Star Blast!”

“A spell? You're not starting with a monster?” Leo asked.

“First, I gotta lower the levels of my monster by using Star Blast and sacrificing 500 of my life points” Greiger told him.

“But why would you do that?” Leo asked in confusion.

“You see my Summon Reactor SK is a level five monster,” Greiger explained. “And by knocking it's power down a notch I can summon it directly to the field!” The monster appeared on the field and Leo flinched back.

“Yikes. That thing's got 2000 attack points,” Leo said nervously.

“That's right,” Greiger said. “I believe in the saying that you gotta sacrifice a little in order to gain a lot. Now, I place one card face down and end my turn.”

“And it seems that Greiger's off to a strong start. How will little miss Luna respond?”

“Alright, here we go,” Leo said, taking a deep breath. He drew and card and smiled. “And it looks like you're not the only one off to a strong start! I summon my Morphtronic Celfon in attack mode!” The cellphone like monster appeared with a battle cry. “Pretty cool, huh? My morphtronic deck rules! And I'm about to show you why!”

“Before you do that, I activate Summon Reactor SK's special ability,” Greiger said. Leo gulped, worried about the ability. “Since you summoned a monster, Summon Reactor SK gets to hit you with 800 points of damage.” The propellers on Reactor SK started spinning and a huge gust of wind attacked Leo. Leo grunted as his points were knocked down to 3200.

“Incredible! It appears that Greiger's monster can attack Luna anytime she summons a monster!”

* * *

 

“Greiger was the right choice,” Lazar said. “His relentless tactics will have that girl showing her true colors in no time.”

Jack narrowed his eyes as he watched the duel.

“The random shuffle wasn't so random after all,” Inner said. Sakura nodded briskly.

* * *

 

“That was a good move, Mr. but you're gonna have to try harder than that! My Morphtronic deck won't be defeated so easily!” Leo said proudly.

“You keep on boasting about this morphtronic deck, but so far, it has yet to impress me,” Greiger said.

“Well get ready, because I'm about to impress your face!” Leo said with a huge smile. He swung his arm in a circle. “Celfon, start dialing, now!” The number pad on Celfon blinked, the numbers lighting up randomly.

“Whatever number the dial lands on I can then flip over that same number of cards from the top of my deck,” Leo explained. “and, if the last card is a level four or below morphtronic monster, then I'm allowed to summon it.” The dial slowed down until it stopped on a number. “Alright, and we've got a two!” Leo drew those cards. “And the second card is...alright!” He cheered, placing down the card. “Check out my Morphtronic Boomboxen, comin at ya live!” A boombox appeared on the field, bouncing as a short rock tune played. It settled down, turning blue.

“Now, I place one card face down and end my turn!” Leo smirked and looked at a card in his hand.

* * *

 

“He's not thinking ahead,” Inner said.

“Not at all,” Sakura agreed quietly. Jack nudged her as Lazar turned back to look at her. He raised an eyebrow, gaining a glare from the pinkette. She blinked as Jack pulled her closer, glaring at Lazar as well. Lazar smirked and turned back to the duel.

“Stay quiet,” Jack whispered. Sakura nodded and leaned against him.

“This proves it,” Inner said, sitting next to Sakura. “Goodwin's planning something. Not even Jack likes it.” Sakura winced, placing a hand on her head. It was throbbing, pounding against her skull. Yet, it wasn't all that strong.

“What's wrong?” Jack asked.

“Headache,” Sakura muttered. “I'll be fine.”

“You sure?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, it'll pass,” Sakura said. Jack narrowed his eyes and glanced at Goodwin for a split second.

“If you're sure you'll be fine, then alright,” Jack said.

“I will be, don't worry,” Sakura said.

“You've been getting headaches a lot lately,” Inner said. Sakura nodded, and let go of her head, feeling the pain edge away. Inner narrowed her eyes and disappeared.

* * *

 

“It's my turn,” Greiger said, drawing a card. “I summon Trap Reactor Y Fi to the field in attack mode!” He placed the card on his duel disk and the monster appeared. “Now, Reactor SK, take out that morphtronic Celfon!” The monster lunged forward, preparing to attack.

“And you've just walked right into my trap!” Leo declared. “I play my face down, the trap card, Morph Transition! That allows me to switch my Celfon into defense mode and pause your attack!” Reactor SK froze in midair.

“And with that, you've walking into _my trap_ ,” Greiger told her. “It's called Trap Reactor for a reason. Trap Reactor reacts to the activation of your trap card, and attacks you for 800 points of direct damage. Now attack!”

Leo groaned as he was pelted with bullets. His points were knocked down to 2400. “That was a real cheap shot, you know that!” Leo shouted once the attack finally ceased.

“I'm not done with you yet little girl, I've got more fight left to give you,” Greiger said.

“Bring it on,” Leo said.

“Summon Reactor SK, unplug Boomboxen,” Greiger ordered. Summon Reactor SK whipped up whirlwinds but they were just negated, not doing anything.

“It appears Boomboxen has grounded Reactor SK!”

“Ha!” Leo laughed. “When I have Boomboxen in defense mode, it can tune out one attack per turn!”

“And that just allows me to activate Damage Summon,” Greiger said. “After an attack is unsuccessful I can sacrifice 800 life point to summon a new monster.” Greiger's points were absorbed by the card, bringing him to 2700.

“Your sacrificing your points again?” Leo asked.

“Yes,” Greiger said. “And I summon Spell Reactor RE to the field.” the flying monster appeared, looking fiercely at Leo's monsters. “I can guarantee you aren't gonna like this. Spell Reactor RE destroy his Boomboxen.”

“No! My tunes!” Leo shouted as his Boomboxen was destroyed.

“Finally, I place one card face down and end my turn,” Greiger said. Leo sighed at that. He looked at his Celfon calmly and then down at his cards.

“You seem awfully calm,” Greiger said. “Haven't you realized that you've been backed into a corner?”

“Huh?” Leo looked at him in confusion.

“I have all three of my Reactors onto the field,” Greiger said. “And you've already done damage to yourself by summoning monsters, and activating trap cards. Now what do you think this third reactor does? If you need help, I'll give you a hint. But it's pretty obvious.”

Leo's eyes widened as the reality of the situation sank in.

“That's right, every duelists needs to be able to summon monsters, play spells, and activate traps,” Greiger said. “But if you do any of that, you'll just be hurting yourself. I could spend the rest of the duel just sitting back and watching you chip away at your own life points every time you try to do something.”

Leo shook, tears springing to his eyes.

* * *

 

“I'm still not getting any signal!” Zigzix told Lazar. “It's possible that the girl's just not a Signer.”

“We have conducted a thorough investigation and we have every reason to believe that she is,” Lazar said. “Your job is to find the hard proof that we require, or can you not do that?”

“I feel like I should mention that I am detecting one anomaly,” Zigzix said. “I'm getting a faint signal coming from the stands.”

“From the stands?” Lazar repeated in surprise. “It's not coming from Luna? Look into it.”

“Of course,” Zigzix said.

“And about that other thing we talked about?” Lazar asked.

“It seems like the signal is being blocked by something,” Zigzix said. “But it started once I upped the D-tector.”

“Interesting,” Lazar hummed.

* * *

 

Leo looked down at his cards in worry. He shook his head and took a deep breath. He looked at Greiger in determination.

“It doesn't matter! You're going down!” Greiger seemed to smirk at Leo's declaration. “I've never tried this before, but here goes. This next round will determine everything. It's my move!” Leo drew a card and added it to his deck. “I draw! And now I activate Celfon's special ability. Start dialing!” Celfon flipped open and started dialing. The light slowly stopped and Leo smiled. “And we've punched in a 3! Now I can look at the 3 cards at the top of my deck.” He drew 3 cards and looked at them. He smiled when he saw that he had two morphtronics.

“Alright, I switch Celfon into attack mode!” Leo said. Celfon quickly shifted and let out a battle cry. “Dial once more!” Leo watched nervously as the dial started. He cheered when it stopped on 1. “Alright! Now that's what I'm talking about!” He pulled out his card and showed it. “I summon Morphtronic Datamon in attack mode!” The crowd cheered as the monster appeared.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, in the stands, Luna gripped her head.

“Is it getting worse?” Dexter asked.

“I don't know,” Luna groaned, leaning forward. Her hat slipped off her head. “I'm just feeling really weak right now.”

* * *

Sakura groaned and gripped her head.

“Your headache getting worse?” Jack asked.

“It did, for a moment,” Sakura said. She watched as Inner reappeared.

“Don't worry, I'm protecting you,” Inner said. “I _will_ keep you safe.”

“Then why am I feeling so weak?” Sakura asked leaning back against the couch.

“Are you going to be alright?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, just...I need a moment.” Sakura moaned and bit her lip, her head bowing. She failed to notice Goodwin looking over at her, interest in his eyes. Jack, however, did notice. He pulled the pinkette close and glared at the director for a moment. Goodwin turned around, acting like nothing happened.

“I really don't like this,” Inner growled, glaring at the director. She hissed and winced in pain, feeling something hot pulse throughout her figure. “Damn! Why are you getting stronger?”

* * *

 

“Your cards don't stand a chance against me!” Greiger said. “No matter what you do, you'll be taking damage.” Leo groaned as Summon Reactor attacked him directly.

“And it looks like Greiger has Luna pinned to the wall!” Leo fell to his knees as his points were reduced to 1600. “I can't watch! Yet I can't look away!”

“Okay, this is it,” Leo said. “Um, by releasing a monster I can activate Datatron's special power. It allows him to deal 600 points of direct damage. So, I sacrifice Celfon.” Greiger didn't flinch as flames washed over him. His points were lowered to 2100. “Okay, so far so good. I release Datatron so I can advanced summon Gadget Hauler.” Datatron regressed into himself and opened up. A large truck drove out of the monster and Datatron disappeared. The truck honked as it came to a stop. “Tada!!” Leo cheered. “Now, if I remember correctly, Summon Reactor can only work once per turn, so I'm not taking any damage.” He held up a card and smirked. “Now it's time to break loose! I release my Morphtronic Magnum! Now, when I send a morphtronic monster from my hand to the graveyard, Gadget Hauler gains 800 attack points.” Leo narrowed his eyes and placed a card.

“Then I activate the Factory of 100 Machines spell card! Using this card I can remove every morphtronic card in my graveyard from play!”

“What's this all about?” the spirits of the morphtronic monsters appeared before flying into Gadget Hauler. “It seems like Luna's monster are hitching a ride on Gadget Hauler.”

“For every machine type monster that's hitch hiking on Gadget Hauler, he gains 200 attack points. Now if I've done my math right, that gives him a whopping 2900 attack points!”

“The activation of that spell card just brings you closer to your defeat,” Greiger said. Spell Reactor roared and attacked Leo. “And if I've done _my_ math right that only leaves you with 800 life points. One more move and you're done.”

“Nu-uh!” Leo said. “You can't do anything if I attack! You don't have Battle Reactor. Gadget Hauler, take out Trap Reactor Y Fi!” The truck opened up, a huge gun coming out of it. The gun fired up it's attack and shot at Trap Reactor.

“Did it work?” Leo asked, waiting for the smoke to clear. Greiger stood there, not damaged at all.

“Even though you're just a child, you have a warrior's spirit,” Greiger said, laughing. “As a warrior myself I salute your strength!”

“Uh, thanks I guess,” Leo said uncertainly. “But why aren't you damaged?”

“Because I used the Delta Reactor trap card,” Greiger said. “When I send Trap Reactor, Summon Reactor, and Spell Reactor to the graveyard I can negate your attack. I can also activate Delta Reactor. Now, I summon Flying Fortress Sky Fire and create a rain of doom!” Leo took a step back, looking at the monster in fear. He dropped his cards in fear.

“It looks like Greiger's activated the fatal trap card, Delta Reactor. It looks like this duel is almost over! Could Luna be the first loser?”

“I activate Flying Fortress Sky Fire's special ability,” Greiger said. “With it I can send one card to my graveyard and obliterate one card on your field. Victory is within my grasp!”

“Gadget Hauler!” Leo gasped, unable to do anything as his card was destroyed.

“And now, you're wide open for a direct attack.” Leo screamed as a bomb was dropped on him, wiping out his life points. He fell to the ground, feeling drained of all his energy.

“And it looks like our first winner is Greiger! He'll be advancing to the second round! And little Miss Luna shall be receiving a gift basket.”

“Oh man, I can't believe I lost,” Leo groaned.

* * *

 

Sakura blinked, her eyes widening in surprise.

“It's gone,” she whispered.

“Your headache?” Jack asked.

Sakura nodded, her eyes wide in shock. “Yeah, it just disappeared,” Sakura said.

“I told you I'd protect you,” Inner said.

“You need anything?” Jack asked.

“No, I'll be fine now,” Sakura said with a small smile.

* * *

 

Greiger walked through the halls, stopping as Lazar approached him.

“Bravo Mr. Greiger.” Lazar bowed as greeting. “That duel was quite explosive.”

“You've got some bad intel,” Greiger said. “You claimed you were looking for a girl, but that kid's obviously a boy.”

“Yes, we noticed,” Lazar said. “It seems that we were the victims of a little switch.” Lazar showed him the documents in his hands.

“Twins?” Greiger asked, seeing the photos of two identical looking kids.

“Twins,” Lazar confirmed. “Luna has a twin brother named Leo. It seems that he took her place in the duel, so it was useless.”

* * *

 

“What did you find?” Goodwin asked.

“Well, I didn't get a signal from the kid battling,” Zigzix said. “But I did get a signal from this girl in the stands.” He showed Goodwin an image of Luna, wearing a heavy coat and a hat. “Now we've just got to get her to duel and then push her to her limits.”

Goodwin smirked. “And the other matter?”

“Any signal I could have gotten was scrambled,” Zigzix said with a frown. “But I did go over some footage from the duel and I found something interesting.” He showed Goodwin of two videos side by side. One was focused on Luna in the stands, and the other was of Sakura and Jack. At the exact same moment Luna and Sakura both gripped their heads. “It seems that whenever I raised the strength of the D-tector they both had the same reactions. But I also heard Sakura mention that she has had frequent headaches for awhile. I'd need more evidence before I could say for sure that she's who we think she is.”

“Perfect,” Goodwin said. “Do what you must.”


End file.
